Dear MoveOn member,
A few weeks ago, Twitter/X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted a digitally manipulated deepfake video about Vice President Kamala Harris.1 Deepfakes are a photo or video of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically—but not always—used maliciously or to spread false information. And while many claim this video from Musk is parody, there will be people who circulate the video thinking the audio is real—and that video has already been viewed hundreds of millions of times.
If that's not enough, just days ago, Donald Trump used fake AI images to imply he had Taylor Swift's endorsement in the general election.2 He doesn't.
Donald Trump consistently tweets fake, AI-manipulated images of Vice President Kamala Harris.3 We cannot and should not allow the CEO of one of the largest social media platforms in the world—nor a major electoral candidate—to spread misinformation and disinformation in our elections. Enough is enough. We need to fully regulate deepfakes on social media platforms overall, but especially when it comes to candidates before the 2024 elections in November. Sign the petition if you agree.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering a first-of-its-kind rule that would require an advertisement to disclose if it's manipulated by artificial intelligence.4 This is a crucial, necessary first step to regulating artificial intelligence on social media, and it needs to take effect before the election in November.
It's not impossible to implement these laws and get clarity for voters. There's precedent to change this. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently just co-sponsored a deepfake bill that passed unanimously in the Senate.5 The Federal Elections Committee (FEC) unanimously voted to move forward to regulate artificial intelligence and deepfakes in campaign advertising, but that's stalled.6
Deepfakes pose a significant threat to democracy as we know it. It's the job of federal agencies to protect people and provide the facts to make sure our democracy and elections remain untainted from exactly these kinds of threats. It could not be more clear: Making or sharing AI-generated deepfakes of any political candidate without clear disclaimers or permission is deeply irresponsible. It has the potential to confuse voters, heighten the threat environment around our elections, and amplify risks to election infrastructure. Will you sign the petition to implement laws to protect voters from AI?
This year is a massive elections year that includes House races, Senate races, and the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. A deceptive, AI-generated deepfake could swing these races—or an onslaught of deepfakes could leave voters completely at a loss as to what's real and what's not. For the public to continue to trust and believe in democratic institutions, this cannot happen.
The integrity of our elections is at stake. The FEC and the FCC need to take substantial action and ban deepfakes on social media to counteract bad actors before our nation's consequential elections in November this year.
Thanks for all you do.
–Nakia, Chris, Madeleine, Melissa, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Elon Musk made a Kamala Harris deepfake ad go viral, sparking a debate about parody and free speech," NBC News, August 1, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195620?t=9&akid=402512%2E40999114%2EQiW5A7
2. "Trump shares fake "Swifties for Trump" images," CBS News, August 19, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196292?t=11&akid=402512%2E40999114%2EQiW5A7
3. Ibid.
4. "Regulators consider first federal rule on AI-created political ads," NBC News, July 29, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195624?t=13&akid=402512%2E40999114%2EQiW5A7
5. "The Defiance Act passes in the Senate, potentially allowing deepfake victims to sue over nonconsensual images," NBC News, July 24, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195622?t=15&akid=402512%2E40999114%2EQiW5A7
6. "FEC moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads," PBS, August 10, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/195623?t=17&akid=402512%2E40999114%2EQiW5A7
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