New deepfake bill would require Big Tech to police and remove sexually explicit AI images

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are scrambling to address the boom in deepfake artificial intelligence pornographic images, which have targeted everyone from celebrities to high school students.

Now, a new bill will seek to hold social media companies accountable for policing and removing nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake images published on their sites. The measure would criminalize publishing or threatening to publish deepfake pornography.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is the bill’s main sponsor. Cruz’s office provided CNBC with exclusive details about the bill.