AI Deepfakes Face Blowback as Industry Rallies Behind No Fakes Act

Calling Out the Clones

Several of the nation’s major entertainment and tech figures are throwing their support behind the federal No Fakes Act, a proposed bill designed to prohibit unauthorized digital replicas of individuals’ voices or likenesses. This legislation—currently backed by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Thom Tillis (R-NC)—comes amid mounting concern over the unregulated spread of AI-generated content that mimics musicians, actors, and other public figures without permission. The bill carves out protections for satire and fan-created works, but seeks to establish clear rules against commercial exploitation without consent. Industry backers emphasize the law’s importance to protect creative workers from being replaced or misrepresented by machine-generated counterfeits.

Cross-Industry Concern Meets Bipartisan Momentum

From Universal Music Group to SAG-AFTRA and tech advocacy coalitions, support for the No Fakes Act spans record labels, labor unions, and digital rights organizations alike. The legislation also addresses a growing gap in current laws, which vary widely by state and lack consistent protection against AI impersonation. Lawmakers sponsoring the bill stress its narrow focus—targeting malicious or deceptive commercial uses without impacting fair use or parody—and describe it as a necessary bulwark against future misuse of generative AI tools. As deepfake technology advances, supporters argue a national framework is crucial to preserving the rights and reputations of creators in an increasingly synthetic media landscape.