New Jersey teen who was victim of deepfake pornography invited to White House for bill signing
A New Jersey teenager who made national headlines after becoming a victim of deepfake pornography has now been invited to a bill signing at the White House with President Trump.
Back in 2023, boys at Westfield High School allegedly used an artificial intelligence app to create fake nude images using the faces of female classmates, including Dorota Mani's daughter, Francesca.
Since then, the Manis have been fighting for reforms to protect people from similar situations.
Bill criminalizes publication of sexual images without consent
Those reforms include the "Take It Down Act" – a bill Congress sent to Trump's desk this week to criminalize the publication of fake or real sexual images of someone without their consent. The bill also requires social media sites to remove such content within two days of getting a notice from a victim.
"It's a very important step forward, but there's much more to be done. And another aspect is education in our schools that will not only teach our children of how to protect their image, but also how to use this technology ethically," Dorota Mani said.
Francesca Mani joined First Lady Melania Trump at a conference in March of this year where they both called for stronger protections from AI-generated deepfake pornography.
"It's not been easy," Dorota Mani said. "I feel very proud as a mother that my daughter had the stamina to stand up for herself."
New Jersey law also penalizes non-consensual deepfakes
Some critics have warned the bill could be weaponized to remove legitimate images protected by free speech.
Congressman Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, posted on X that it was "ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences," but it still passed 409 to 2.
"It makes me feel proud to see and know that our politicians can work decisively in a bipartisan fashion to support our children and women," Dorota Mani said.
Earlier this month, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law laying out criminal penalties for producing and sharing non-consensual deepfake images.
A date for the bill signing at the White House has not yet been set.
