Warning: This article contains discussion of image-based sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Paris Hilton has discussed a deeply personal issue, urging Congress to enact the DEFIANCE Act into law.
On January 22, a press event took place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, promoting the DEFIANCE Act.
The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act aims to provide protection against image-based sexual abuse, including the creation of AI-generated explicit content.
At the conference, Paris Hilton, accompanied by US Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Laurel Lee, shared her own experiences.
Hilton spoke about the empowerment she has found in voicing her truth, revealing something she had never openly discussed before.
Showing gratitude to every woman, girl, and survivor watching, Hilton reflected on her prior involvement in the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, a legislation she holds dear.
Upon her return to the capital, she noted feeling a new kind of strength.
Hilton addressed the unauthorized release of a private video of her and then-boyfriend Rick Salomon in 2004 when she was 19, noting it was shared without her consent.
“People called it a scandal. It wasn’t. It was abuse,” she said.
She recalled the absence of laws at the time to protect her and a lack of language to describe her ordeal.
Hilton mentioned that the internet was still new, as was the associated cruelty.
“They called me names, they laughed and made me the punch line,” she continued. “They sold my pain for clicks, and then they told me to be quiet, to move on, to even be grateful for the attention.”
Hilton described how the distribution of the video resulted in her losing control over her body, reputation, and her sense of safety and self-worth.
Despite her efforts to regain control, the issue persists.
Hilton explained that similar occurrences are affecting countless women and girls today, in even more frightening ways.
“Before, someone had to betray your trust and steal something real,” she said. “Now, all it takes is a computer and a stranger’s imagination.”
She pointed out that there are over 100,000 AI-generated explicit deep fake images of her, declaring: “Deep fake pornography has become an epidemic.”
This epidemic is something that neither money nor legal action can fully address.
Hilton went on to emphasize the broader implications beyond just technology.
She stated: “It’s about power. It’s about someone using someone’s likeness to humiliate, silence and strip them of their dignity.
“But victims deserve more than after-the-fact apologies. We deserve justice.”
The DEFIANCE Act provides a means for survivors to seek justice.
Hilton reflected: “I am lucky. I had the platform to reclaim my story. But so many others don’t. And what I’ve learned is this, is if your image is violated, it doesn’t disappear, it lives inside you, but so does your power.”
She urged Congress to pass the Defiance Act, stating: “Let’s finally make it law.”
If you or someone you know has had an intimate image or video released without their consent, you can visit the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s (CCRI) Safety Center for help deciding what to do. CCRI also has an Image Abuse Helpline at 1-844-878-CCRI (2274).