Two Dozen Organizations and Individuals Endorse Bipartisan Congressional Letter Addressing Technology Companies’ Role in Deepfake Pornography
We, the undersigned organizations, survivors, and advocates, commend this bipartisan effort from Congress, calling on social media and technology companies to address the epidemic of what is colloquially known as deepfake pornography. As a subset of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) or non-consensual explicit materials (NCEM), these deepfakes are weaponized overwhelmingly against women and exploited to devastating effect. Deepfake technology continues to advance, and so does its potential for abuse, with increasingly harmful impacts on personal safety and privacy. This evolution highlights the urgent need for transparent and accountable action from platforms that serve as today’s public squares, where such content often emerges and circulates.
Women comprise the overwhelming majority of deepfake pornography victims. The impact reaches far beyond high-profile cases like the recent targeting of music superstar Taylor Swift, exposing the scale of this crisis. For every headline-grabbing incident, thousands more—including underage girls—suffer in silence, enduring profound and often invisible trauma. The #MyImageMyChoice campaign found that “in 2023, more deepfake abuse videos were posted than every other year combined, and had garnered over 4 billion views as of February 2024.” The weaponization of artificial intelligence technology leaves lasting scars, leading to depression, anxiety, job loss, withdrawal from public life, and even suicide. This exploitation exacts a heavy personal toll on victims, and while some platforms have made efforts to curb its spread, the rapid evolution of deepfakes calls for equally swift, dynamic action.
We call on social media and technology companies to do more than react—to build proactive, protective, and preventative measures against this digital violence. Along with Representatives Dingell and Pfluger, we urge these platforms to leverage advanced safeguards, clear accountability, and unyielding transparency in their policies to prevent deepfake abuse before it occurs, and provide robust resources and support to those who have been impacted. We stand ready to support this endeavor and offer expertise in championing safe, respectful online spaces that uphold the dignity and equality of all individuals.
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