WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two Ohio lawmakers are leading a fight on Capitol Hill to better understand and prevent deceptive and fake media from spreading online.
- “Deepfakes” are deceptive online content
- Portman and Gonzalez want them better monitored
- Technology is making them more accessible
The term “deepfake” is one you may not be familiar with, but you’ve likely seen one online.
It’s video or audio intentionally altered to make it seem like someone is saying or doing something they actually didn’t.
During a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked how big of a threat deepfakes are.
“Deepfakes are clearly one of the emerging threats that we need to get in front of and develop policy around to address,” Zuckerberg said.
Facebook recently announced a “Deepfake Detection Challenge” with other technology companies and universities.
Deepfakes are becoming more common because the technology to easily alter a face or insert inaccurate audio is becoming more affordable and accessible.
Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) sponsored a bill called the “Deepfake Report Act” that recently passed the Senate. It would direct the Department of Homeland Security to study deepfake technology each year.
“Addressing the challenges posed by deepfakes will require policymakers to grapple with important questions related to civil liberties and privacy,” Portman said in a statement. “This bill prepares our country to answer those questions and address concerns by ensuring we have a sound understanding of this issue.”
On the House side, Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R, 16th Congressional District) is behind a bill called the “Identifying Outputs of Generative Adversarial Networks Act” (IOGAN Act). It was voted out of committee earlier this year and would direct the government to develop technology that could better identify deepfakes.
Spectrum Washington reporter Taylor Popielarz recently asked Gonzalez if he was satisfied with Zuckerberg’s comments?
“I’m glad that they’re looking at it and I think they sincerely are looking at it, because if their platform becomes completely overrun by deepfakes, I think people will leave the platform pretty quickly,” Gonzalez said. “And so I do think they’re going to work on it, just like we are working on it, but there’s still a lot of road to hoe there.”
Portman’s bill is now being considered by the House, while Gonzalez’s legislation is working its way to getting a full vote on the House floor.