
Taylor Lorenz’s Power User AI Deepfake Panic is Killing Free Speech
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Jul 18, 2025 Kate Ruane, Director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, sheds light on the alarming NO FAKES Act. She discusses how this proposed legislation, while claiming to protect identities from deepfakes, could actually lead to harmful censorship and erode privacy. The bill's implications for journalists, artists, and free expression are explored, emphasizing the need for clear laws that truly protect individuals rather than empower corporations. Ruane champions the fight for genuine free speech amidst rising tech regulations.
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Bill Benefits Powerful Figures
- The bill mainly benefits public figures and major rights holders who will control licenses to likenesses.
- It could suppress dissent and limit use by historians, academics, and critics of powerful figures.
Incentives Favor Content Takedowns
- Online service providers must remove flagged digital replicas quickly without evaluating exceptions like news or parody.
- They risk heavy penalties, pushing them towards excessive takedowns.
Historic AI Content Vulnerable
- A professor recreating an AI-generated conversation of a racist historic figure may have that lecture video removed.
- The bill allows heirs of deceased figures to demand takedown regardless of historical context.

