Pa. lawmakers want to expand mandatory reporting requirements to cover AI deepfakes - Audacy

Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing legislation to mandate immediate reporting of AI-generated deepfake images involving students. The move follows incidents in multiple school districts where delays in reporting hindered investigations and led to further victimization.

What happened

The proposed bill would require mandated reporters, such as teachers and coaches, to immediately report suspected deepfake child sexual abuse material to Pennsylvania’s childline and to school officials. State Representative Nikki Rivera introduced the bill after an incident at Lancaster Country Day School where almost 50 students were victimized by AI deepfakes. In a separate incident, 11 girls in the Council Rock district were victimized. Lawmakers noted that delays in reporting made criminal investigations more challenging, as some school officials were unsure if a law had been broken.