JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A bill moving through the Florida Capitol could have significant implications for victims of deepfakes, with its roots firmly planted in Jacksonville.
State Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville) introduced the legislation, known as Brooke’s Law, to protect individuals from the damaging effects of AI-generated fake images.
The inspiration for the legislation comes from 18-year-old student Brooke Curry, who fell victim to a pornographic deepfake. Curry is the daughter of former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.
“That day, I had no control, and that was when I really decided I wanted to take my control back,” Brooke Curry said. “The internet never forgets, and once a photo is put out there, it is very hard to regain control. This is why I am fighting so hard for Brooke’s Law.”
In the summer of 2023, when she was just 16 years old, Curry discovered a fake nude image of herself online after a game of pickleball.
“My life as I knew it came crashing down,” Brooke Curry recalled. “In those few hours, my phone, my text, my social media had been flooded with notifications. A kid from Fletcher High School I never crossed paths with or knew at all put an AI-generated nude that he helped create of me on the internet.”
Not only did Brooke have an AI-generated fake nude photo of her circulated online, but when the Bishop Kenny High School senior reached out to platforms to have the image removed, they wouldn’t.
For many seniors, this time of year is filled with excitement about prom and college plans.
For Brooke Curry, it has become a battle she never anticipated, and she has taken her fight to the state Capitol, where she recently testified before the Legislature.
Curry explained to lawmakers that the perpetrator obtained her photo from her Instagram account and altered it to depict her as fully nude.
Her father, the former mayor of Jacksonville, took action to have the image removed, reaching out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the state attorney’s office.
However, the process proved to be a struggle.
“I’m fully aware I’m very lucky to have a dad and parents that will not only fight for me and protect me but also have the resources to do what he did,” Brooke said. “Not everyone has that level of support, and not everyone has that level of trust. I’m fully aware of this, and that’s why this is so important to me.”
Duggan emphasized the urgency of the issue and the need for legislative action with some alarming statistics.
“Ninety-eight percent of deepfake videos found online are explicitly pornographic, and ninety-nine percent of those are of women,” Duggan said.
Duggan is championing the bill to amend Florida’s existing deepfake law, requiring platforms to remove altered depictions and copies upon request from the victim.
Duggan introduced the House version of this bill, and on Thursday, the Senate version will be heard in its final committee.
