Paris Hilton travelled to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to campaign against the escalating problem of AI-generated deepfakes, marking a poignant personal mission over twenty years after her own private sex tape was leaked without consent. The 44-year-old media personality lent her support to the DEFIANCE Act, standing with a coalition of lawmakers, advocates, and fellow survivors on Capitol Hill.
Bipartisan Backing for Legislative Action
The event featured prominent political figures including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, and Representative Laurel Lee, a Republican from Florida, highlighting the cross-party consensus on this critical issue. The proposed DEFIANCE Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to empower victims of AI deepfakes by granting them the legal right to sue individuals who create and disseminate non-consensual sexual imagery.
A Personal Testimony of Abuse
During a press conference, Hilton spoke candidly about her traumatic experience with online sexual abuse, directly referencing the impact of her sex tape leak in 2004. The video, titled 1 Night in Paris, was filmed in 2001 when Hilton was just 19 years old and featured her then-boyfriend, poker player Rick Salomon, who later released it without her permission.
"When I was 19 years old, a private intimate video of me was shared with the world without my consent," Hilton stated. She powerfully reframed the narrative surrounding such violations, asserting, "People called it a scandal. It wasn't. It was abuse."
Hilton described how she was mocked and humiliated, with her pain commodified for public entertainment. "They called me names, they laughed and made me the punch line. They sold my pain for clicks, and then they told me to be quiet, to move on, to even be grateful for the attention," she recounted. Emphasising the broader implications, she noted, "This isn't about just technology. It's about power. It's about someone using someone's likeness to humiliate, silence and strip them of their dignity."
Building on Existing Legislation
The DEFIANCE Act represents a legislative evolution, following the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act last year, which established federal crimes for publishing non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes. That earlier law mandates online platforms to remove child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of a victim's notification.
Representative Ocasio-Cortez clarified the new bill's expanded scope, explaining, "TAKE IT DOWN gave us removal and DEFIANCE will give us recourse and restitution." The DEFIANCE Act aims to address not just distribution but also the production and solicitation of such imagery, providing individuals with a direct civil legal pathway.
Solidarity Among Survivors
Hilton was not alone in her advocacy. Another survivor, Angie Katsanevas, formerly of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, also testified before Congress as an invited witness on the same day, underscoring the widespread impact of these violations. Their collective voices aimed to highlight the urgent need for stronger legal protections in the digital age.
A Lifelong Scar and a Hopeful Mission
Reflecting on the past, Hilton has described the tape's leak as one of the "most painful" experiences of her life. In a recent podcast appearance, she spoke of the betrayal, saying it was "painful to trust someone so much and then to be violated like that" and to endure global ridicule. "I was a child, and I was in love and trusted someone," she added, believing at the time the recording would remain private.
By sharing her story now and championing the DEFIANCE Act, Hilton expressed a determined hope to prevent similar ordeals for others. "I hoped to make a change and ensure nobody else goes through the same thing," she affirmed, transforming personal trauma into a powerful catalyst for legislative and social change.
