"People called it a 'scandal', but it was clearly 'sexual abuse'."
Hollywood icon Paris Hilton stood before the U.S. Congress, overcoming the pain of a private video leak she experienced over 20 years ago. She emerged as a champion for digital sexual crime victims, urging strong legislation to eradicate AI deepfake sexual crimes.
According to foreign media such as Daily Mail on the 23rd (local time), Hilton attended a press conference supporting the 'DEFIANCE Act' held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. At this event, lawmakers from both parties, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and survivors of deepfake crimes raised their voices together.
◇ "My pain was consumed for clicks"… A cry after 22 years
At the press conference, Hilton confronted her past wounds head-on. She mentioned the incident when a private video filmed when she was 19 was distributed worldwide in 2004 without her consent, expressing the devastating feelings she experienced at that time.
She stated, "My pain was indiscriminately consumed for clicks, and I was forced into silence while being mocked." She particularly pointed out that the video was released by her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, recalling, "Watching the world laugh at me after being betrayed by someone I loved and trusted was like hell."
◇ "It's a matter of power, not technology"… Urging the passage of the DEFIANCE Act
The 'DEFIANCE Act' that Hilton appealed for support is a bipartisan bill that allows civil claims for damages against those who produce and distribute non-consensual sexual images using AI technology, such as deepfakes. It aims to hold perpetrators legally accountable beyond mere deletion obligations.
She emphasized, "This is not a problem of technology but a problem of power," and added, "The act of using someone's face and life to destroy their personality must not be repeated." Hilton explained that the reason she brought up her painful experience again was "to ensure that no one else has to go through what I did."
If this bill is passed, deepfake victims will have a path to legal redress and compensation. Paris Hilton's testimony, which boldly raised her voice after overcoming past wounds, is expected to be an important turning point in discussions on responding to sexual crimes in the AI era.
