|
The House passed House Bill 299 that would amend the Illinois
school code to include sexually explicit digital depictions of
students under the definition of cyberbullying.
State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, said the images
generated by AI could have lasting effects on a young person.
“These deepfakes and nudes can have devastating consequences,”
said Rohr. “They are used to harass, to humiliate and to bully
young women.”
A high-profile case of AI-generated photos included sexually
explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift, which went viral on X,
formerly Twitter, last January.
Cyberbullying has kicked off a debate on whether freedom of
speech rights are violated. In an article published in the Akron
Law Review, University of Illinois College of Media’s Benjamin
Holden wrote that courts are split over whether schools have the
authority to punish cyber-speech, even when it causes a
disruption of school activities.
Rohr’s measure updates best practices for school districts
dealing with cyberbullying. The Illinois State Board of
Education has expressed concern for the need for clearer
language for districts and staff to deal with the rising levels
of AI-based cyberbullying.
The bill is now being considered by the Senate.
“Bullies need to know their actions will have consequences, and
this bill will create those consequences,” said Rohr.
Legislators are in session Friday.
|
|
