Salazar, Dean, Blackburn, Coons, Bipartisan Colleagues Reintroduce NO FAKES Act to Defend Americans’ Voice, Likeness, and Identity in the AI Era

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, U.S. Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) reintroduced the bipartisan Support the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act to protect Americans' voice and visual likeness from the growing threat of unauthorized digital replicas created without their consent through artificial intelligence. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE).

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, unauthorized digital replicas, manipulated videos, voice cloning, and deceptive deepfakes are becoming more sophisticated and more difficult to detect. The NO FAKES Act would create clear federal guardrails to protect Americans from exploitation, fraud, and digital impersonation while preserving innovation, responsible AI development, and First Amendment protections.

"In this new era of AI, bad actors are quickly and easily profiting from the creativity of others. Our laws must catch up," said Rep. Salazar. "The NO FAKES Act is simple and sacred: you own your identity-not Big Tech, not scammers, not algorithms. Deepfakes are digital lies that ruin real lives, and it's time to fight back."

"The use of AI is only growing, and Congress must catch up with common sense, common ground regulations," Rep. Dean said. "By granting every person a clear, federal right to control digital replicas of their own voice and likeness, the NO FAKES Act will empower victims of deep fakes; defend against sexually explicit deepfakes; and safeguard human creativity and artistic expression. We must support technological innovation while preserving the privacy, safety, and dignity of all Americans."

"No one should have to worry about their likeness being stolen and used in a fake video without their consent," said Rep. Morelle. "A.I. is moving fast, and the harm is already real, from explicit deepfakes to scams, fraud, and the theft of artists' work. I'm proud to co-lead the bipartisan NO FAKES Act to make sure honest Americans, not scammers or algorithms, stay in control of their own identity."

"Artists, creators, and anyone who uses the internet must have the basic right to control digital replicas of their own voice and image. AI is moving fast, and we need to make sure these guardrails are in place now, not later," said Rep. Balint. "The NO FAKES Act is a commonsense, bipartisan, and essential bill. I am proud to join Representatives Dean and Salazar in introducing this legislation to protect Americans' right to control their own identity online."

"The NO FAKES Act protects every American's fundamental right to their own voice and likeness while preserving the innovation and creative expression that makes AI a powerful tool. It holds platforms accountable while preserving First Amendment freedoms for creators-shining a light for industries and individuals that have operated in regulatory darkness" Rep. Moran said.

"Whether they're Tom Hanks or an 8th grader in Wilmington, no one should worry about someone stealing their voice or likeness," Sen. Coons said. "We're reintroducing a stronger NO FAKES Act after working with stakeholders from across the country to make the protections in our bill more robust without compromising Americans' free speech rights. I am proud that NO FAKES is the most advanced piece of AI legislation before Congress right now with the broadest network of supporters. Americans can't afford to wait any longer for Congress to pass this bill and send it to the president's desk."

"AI should empower innovation - not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone's voice and visual likeness without permission," Sen. Blackburn said. "From artists and songwriters to students and everyday Americans, people deserve meaningful protections against deceptive deepfakes and digital impersonation. The NO FAKES Act would establish clear guardrails that protect the creative community in Tennessee and nationwide, and we are grateful to have more support than ever before for this bipartisan and bicameral legislation."

"RIAA proudly endorses the NO FAKES Act of 2026, a widely supported consensus bill developed through a bipartisan, bicameral process and championed by American AI developers, the creative community, child safety groups, conservative groups, labor unions, and free speech advocates. Polling confirms that 92% of Americans are concerned about the impact of AI deepfakes on our neighbors and culture and reveals near total support for a Federal law that protects voice and likeness. NO FAKES provides those important protections while securing freedom of expression, reducing litigation and achieving the full promise of American AI technology. We applaud the efforts of Senators Coons and Blackburn alongside Representatives Salazar and Dean, along with their bipartisan colleagues, on crafting this legislation that has also been recommended by the White House's National AI Framework. This is an example of communities coming together to solve an important issue, and we are closer than ever to NO FAKES becoming the law of the land this year," said Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO of RIAA.

The bipartisan effort brings together lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to establish clear federal protections against unauthorized digital replicas, deceptive deepfakes, and AI-driven impersonation.

The NO FAKES Act would:

• Recognize that every individual has a federal intellectual property right to their own voice and likeness, including extending protections to families after death.

• Empower individuals to take action against bad actors who knowingly create, distribute, or profit from unauthorized digital replicas.

• Protect responsible online platforms from liability when they remove offending content after discovering unlawful material.

• Strengthen protections against harmful deepfakes, deceptive impersonation, exploitation, and unauthorized digital replication.

• Preserve innovation, legitimate research, free speech rights, and other recognized First Amendment protections.

The revised legislation also includes additional safeguards, including a counter-notice process to better protect free speech rights, exemptions for libraries, archives, and research institutions, and technical improvements to ensure the bill functions as intended across digital platforms.

Click here to read the updated bill text.

Click here to read the section-by-section.
BACKGROUND:

Rep. Salazar has been one of Congress' leading voices on AI accountability and online safety, including her leadership on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, now law, which strengthened protections against online exploitation and abusive AI-generated content.

The NO FAKES Act builds on that momentum by addressing one of the fastest-growing challenges in the digital era: the unauthorized replication and misuse of a person's voice or likeness without consent.

The legislation has earned broad support from leaders across the technology, entertainment, labor, legal, and child safety communities, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Human Artistry Campaign, Motion Picture Association, Recording Academy, YouTube, TikTok, OpenAI, IBM, Disney, SAG-AFTRA, AFL-CIO, National Association of Broadcasters, RAINN, Getty Images, and dozens of additional organizations.

As AI innovation accelerates, lawmakers say Congress must ensure emerging technology serves people, not scammers, predators, or those seeking to profit from deception.