Teen girls are being victimized by deepfake nudes. A family is pushing for more protections

A mother and her 14-year-old daughter are campaigning for stronger protections for victims after AI-produced nude images of the teenager and her female classmates were circulated at a New Jersey high school.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the country, authorities are investigating an incident involving a teenage boy who allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute similar images of female students at a high school in suburban Seattle, Washington.

These distressing cases have once again brought attention to explicit AI-generated content that mostly targets women and children, and is rapidly increasing in online popularity. According to an analysis by independent researcher Genevieve Oh, which was shared press that more than 143,000 new deepfake videos have been uploaded online this year alone, surpassing the total of all previous years combined. 

In their quest for solutions, families affected are urging lawmakers to implement strong safeguards for victims whose images are manipulated using new AI models, as well as the various apps and websites that openly offer such services. Advocates and legal experts are also pressing for federal regulation that can ensure consistent protections nationwide and send a clear message to current and potential perpetrators.

Dorota Mani, whose daughter was a victim in Westfield, a New Jersey suburb near New York City, emphasized, We're fighting for the well-being of our children. Their political affiliations don't matter. They simply want love and security.

The issue of deepfakes is not a new problem, but it is becoming increasingly worse with the advancement and accessibility of technology. Experts have pointed out that AI-generated child sexual abuse material, using images of real victims or virtual characters, has been on the rise this year. The FBI has received a lots of reports from both minors and adults who have had their photos or videos manipulated to create explicit content that was shared online.

In an attempt to tackle this problem, several states have implemented their own laws over the years, although their approaches vary. Texas, Minnesota, and New York recently passed legislation to criminalize nonconsensual deepfake pornography, adding to the existing laws in Virginia, Georgia, and Hawaii. Some states, such as California and Illinois, have only provided victims with the option to sue perpetrators for damages in civil court, a measure also adopted by New York and Minnesota.  

Several other states are currently considering their own legislation, with New Jersey being among them. In New Jersey, a bill is being drafted to outlaw deepfake pornography and impose punishments, such as imprisonment, fines, or a combination of both, for those who distribute it.

State Senator Kristin Corrado, a Republican, introduced this legislation after coming across an article discussing individuals attempting to exploit revenge porn laws by utilizing their ex-partner's image to create deepfake pornography.

Corrado expressed concern that an incident of this nature was bound to occur and felt the need to take action.

To establish consistent protections and deter organizations that profit from enabling the creation of deepfakes through various products and applications, Franks, a professor of law at George Washington University, suggests implementing federal legislation. She believes this would also send a strong message to minors who might impulsively generate deceptive images of their peers. 

According to The Associated Press..