**US Senators Crack Down on Sexualized Deepfakes: “We Need Answers”**
The cat’s out of the bag – or rather, the deepfake genie is out of the bottle. Senators are sounding the alarm and demanding answers from the tech giants – X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit, and TikTok – about their handling of sexualized deepfakes on their platforms.
In a scathing letter, the senators are calling out the companies for not doing enough to prevent the spread of nonconsensual, sexualized imagery. The truth is, this isn’t just an X problem – it’s a problem across the entire tech industry.
The senators are demanding proof that these companies have robust policies and protections in place to curb the rise of sexualized deepfakes. They’re also asking for clarification on how they plan to tackle the issue. It’s not just about prevention, though – they’re also seeking answers on how these companies plan to detect and moderate this kind of content when it does appear.
The letter comes on the heels of X’s announcement that it’s updated Grok to ban edits of real people in revealing clothing and restrict picture creation and edits through Grok to paying subscribers. But, as the senators pointed out in their letter, this isn’t enough. Reports have shown just how easily and often Grok generates sexualized and nude images of women and children.
It’s time for the tech giants to step up and take responsibility for the content on their platforms. The senators are giving them a deadline to preserve all relevant documents and data related to the creation, detection, moderation, and monetization of sexualized deepfakes. It’s time to get real about the harm these images can cause and take concrete action to prevent it from happening in the first place.
What do you think it will take for the tech industry to take this issue seriously? Share your thoughts in the comments!
