AOC praises late Sen. Lindsey Graham for backing DEFIANCE Act targeting nonconsensual AI deepfake porn, bill remains stalled in House

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the late Sen. Lindsey Graham was instrumental in efforts that helped move the DEFIANCE Act forward before the bill stalled in the House, according to Fox News. Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks singled out Graham for his role in supporting legislation designed to address the spread of nonconsensual AI deepfake porn.

The DEFIANCE Act is presented as a legislative response to the use of artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images or videos without the consent of the person depicted. The bill’s current status, as described by Fox News, is that it has not advanced to enactment and remains stalled in the House.

Ocasio-Cortez’s comments came in the context of reassessing lawmakers’ prior work on the measure, Fox News reported. She characterized Graham as having been helpful in reaching an earlier stage of movement on the legislation, while acknowledging that the bill has not yet completed the House process.

Supporters of enforcement-centered approaches to deepfake harms typically argue that legal remedies must be practical enough to deter misuse and support takedowns, while critics sometimes argue that overly broad language could affect protected speech or raise due process concerns. In the absence of additional bill text in the available record here, Apex Times will not describe specific statutory standards beyond the bill’s stated goal as characterized by Fox News.

The House stalemate means the measure has not yet cleared the step required to put it on the path to final passage and presidential consideration. If the DEFIANCE Act advances, it would need to be taken up under House procedures, including consideration by the relevant committees and any floor action required to move the bill forward.

A final outcome will depend on whether House leaders schedule further consideration and whether members reconcile remaining questions about definitions, scope, and enforcement mechanisms related to AI-generated sexual content. Until then, the DEFIANCE Act remains a pending proposal rather than enacted federal law, leaving policymakers to rely on existing authorities to address online impersonation and related harms.