Verified: Creators, tech firms, push for 'No Fakes' bill to rein in AI

Last year, Dr. Joel Bervell, who has built a social media following as a medical “mythbuster,” found an AI version of himself selling a product he had never used on YouTube. “As a physician, that was especially alarming because they weren’t just borrowing my image,” he said. “They were leveraging the trust that comes with my medical license to make it appear that I was recommending something to my audience.”

Stories like Bervell’s were the pitch when more than a dozen voice actors and creators, including myself, joined an event organized by YouTube to announce the new Senate Creator Caucus and bring awareness to the spread of deepfakes and AI-generated content that mimics real people’s name, image and likeness. Actors, creators, and major social media companies, like YouTube, asked lawmakers to pass the No Fakes Act.

To be upfront, I’ve been a creator for years, and I personally believe Congress needs to rein in AI deepfakes on social media, even though this particular legislation deserves some scrutiny. Here's the gist: The bipartisan bill would give every American a federal right to control what it calls a “digital replica” of themselves: an unauthorized AI-generated copy of their voice or visual likeness. That could cover voice cloning and other impersonation that may not fit neatly under existing fraud or scam laws.

Led by Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and backed by a broad coalition that includes SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Academy and major talent agencies WME and CAA, the bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously in June. But the window for passage this year is narrowing.

If enacted, anyone who sees an unauthorized use of themselves on social media would report it to the social media platform where they found it to ask for it to be taken down and removed. Platforms that comply with the notice-and-takedown process would receive liability protection, while those that knowingly fail to remove unauthorized replicas could face penalties of up to $750,000. Individuals can face $5,000 in penalties per work, and other companies up to $25,000 per work, or potentially actual damages and profits if those are greater.

Certain uses in news, documentaries, commentary, satire and parody would be exempt. Supporters say those exemptions and the bill’s counter-notice process are designed to protect First Amendment rights, but opponents say it doesn’t go far enough.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., a sponsor of the House bill, said it would “empower victims of deep fakes” and that “we must support technological innovation while preserving the privacy, safety, and dignity of all Americans.”

The No Fakes bill aims to go a step beyond the Take It Down Act, passed May 19, 2025, after advocacy from sexual violence survivors and public figures (including Paris Hilton) claimed that nonconsensual intimate images and sexually explicit deepfakes were harmful and needed regulation. The No Fakes bill proposes to cover unauthorized replicas of a person’s voice and likeness more broadly.

For creators, a convincing fake post can cost them sponsorships, audience trust and credibility. Therapist and creator Kati Morton said she encounters many fake versions of herself each day. Viewers may be manipulated by bad actors spreading misinformation or tricked into buying a product from their favorite creator, only to discover that the endorsement was a deepfake scam. …

Continue reading to learn how the platforms are getting involved

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What Shruti Singh, our intern, sent her friends this week

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