Attorney General Charity Clark expressed gratitude to the Legislature today for explicitly codifying the crime of nonconsensual “deepfake” pornography. The amendment, contained in bill H.878, has been added to Vermont’s Revenge Porn Statute and is set to be delivered to the Governor's desk.
Deepfakes utilize artificial intelligence to manipulate photos, videos, or audio, creating the illusion that someone is doing something they are not. Frequently, these so-called “nudification” apps are used to produce deepfakes. It has been reported that over 90% of deepfakes are pornographic, with 90% using the faces of women or girls.
“I am grateful to the Legislature for answering our plea to add this language to the statutes and make clear that use of artificial intelligence to harm women or girls is illegal,” Attorney General Clark stated. “Using A.I. for such purposes will not be tolerated by my office. Thank you especially to Senator Dick Sears and Representative Barbara Rachelson for their leadership on this issue.”
The New York Times recently described nonconsensual deepfake pornography as an “epidemic” among teen girls. Those experiencing harm due to nonconsensual deepfake pornography or “revenge porn” should contact their local law enforcement agency immediately.
For individuals recovering from child sexual exploitation, assistance is available through The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC provides emotional and peer support, assistance with removing content from the internet, and help finding mental health professionals. Their free service “Take It Down” can aid in stopping online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken when under 18 years old. Users can remain anonymous while using the service without having to send their images or videos anywhere.
For more information, please visit https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/ or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.