NAB Applauds NO FAKES Act
The National Association of Broadcasters is backing the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act – a bipartisan bill that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized computer-generated recreations from generative artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.
This bill, if passed, would: 1) Hold individuals or companies liable if they produce an unauthorized digital replica of an individual in a performance; 2) Hold platforms liable for hosting an unauthorized digital replica if the platform has actual knowledge of the fact that the replica was not authorized by the individual depicted; 3) Exclude certain digital replicas from coverage based on recognized First Amendment protections; and 4) Largely preempt State laws addressing digital replicas to create a workable national standard.
NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “NAB applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing the bipartisan NO FAKES Act. Local broadcasters work every day to earn the trust of their communities, and unauthorized AI-generated replicas undermine that trust by enabling deception and the misuse of voices and likenesses of trusted journalists and on-air personalities. This legislation establishes important safeguards against harmful deepfakes while supporting responsible innovation and respecting the First Amendment. We thank Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin and Senators Blackburn, Coons, Tillis and Klobuchar for their leadership and look forward to working with Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation.”
president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt commented on the ruling saying, “Today’s decision affirms what local broadcasters and other publishers have long known: Google has used its dominance in the online advertising marketplace to disadvantage content creators and tilt the playing field. We commend the Department of Justice for taking on this critical case. As policymakers and regulators consider the implications of this ruling, we urge them to recognize that the same Big Tech dominance harming digital publishers is also undermining the advertising revenue local broadcasters rely on to serve their communities. We are encouraged that the FCC, under Chairman Carr’s leadership, is taking steps to modernize its rules and look forward to swift action that begins to level the competitive playing field.”