On the recordJune 12, 2024
I rise today in the Senate to pass the DEFIANCE Act, a bipartisan bill that provides a remedy for victims of nonconsensual sexual exploitation deepfakes. I want to thank the Senate cosponsors of this legislation. They include my ranking Republican Member, Senator Lindsey Graham, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, as well as Senators Klobuchar, Hawley, King, and Lee. This bill is truly bipartisan. I have been proud to partner with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who introduced this legislation in the House of Representatives with four Republican and four Democratic cosponsors. As you can see, in both the Senate and the House, this is a bipartisan measure. When I describe it, you will understand. Sadly, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, herself, is a victim of what is known as explicit deepfakes. I commend her for her work and courage to create tools for victims in the fight against this despicable conduct. The spread of these deplorable deepfakes is like a fire burning out of control. What used to take extraordinary technological expertise and a lot of time can now be done with the push of a button. Countless apps can swap someone's face onto another person's body or can digitally remove someone's clothing. These apps are often advertised as harmless entertainment. But when explicit images are produced and shared without the consent of the person depicted, the harm is very real.…





