AG Coleman demands platforms address deepfake content issues to save lives

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Attorney General Russel Coleman is leading the charge in the fight against nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII), commonly known as “deepfakes.”

In letters to search engines and payment platforms, a coalition led by six states demands stronger safeguards against creating deepfakes, including warnings and redirecting users away from harmful content.

Computer-generated NCII has the potential to affect nearly everyone and has notably been used to embarrass, intimidate, and exploit.

“The darkness on the internet is spreading, and it poses a growing danger to Kentuckians, particularly women and girls. These online deepfakes can lead to emotional distress and long-term damage. Nearly every AG in this country on both sides of the aisle is joining the fight to protect our kids,” Attorney General Coleman said.

Coleman cited the death of 16-year-old Elijah Heacock, a boy from Glasgow who took his own life after being threatened and exploited for money using AI-generated photos, a letter written by his mother to the Casey County Sheriff’s Office explains.

The letters point to existing protections in place in which search engines limit access to content, for example, on “how to build a bomb” and “how to kill yourself.” The coalition urges Google, Yahoo!, and Bing to take similar measures for topics such as “how to make deepfake pornography,” “undress apps,” “nudify apps,” or “deepfake porn.”

In May, President Donald Trump signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which increases consequences for people who post and create revenge porn. Congressman Brett Guthrie said he accompanied the Heacock family to attend the bill’s signing.

“This law honors the memory of young Americans, like their son Elijah Heacock, who tragically passed after an online extortion scheme,” Gutherie wrote. “Thank you to First Lady Melania Trump for prioritizing this important bill and working with Congress to protect victims of revenge and deepfake revenge pornography. It will save lives.”