Leslie Miller is the vice president of government affairs and public policy for YouTube.
The digital age has always been a balancing act between the thrill of what’s new and the strength of safeguards for the public. Throughout my career, I’ve seen that the most transformative tools put power back into the hands of people.
As generative artificial intelligence moves from a futuristic concept to a part of daily life, the public finds itself at a crossroads. Technology and policy have to work together to protect what is most personal to all individuals: their identity.
At YouTube, my colleagues and I believe a responsible AI future depends on giving people control over their likeness. For nearly 20 years, YouTube’s Content ID system has empowered creators to manage their copyright. By scanning videos against a database of copyrighted works, this technology gives rights holders the power to automatically block unauthorized uploads or monetize videos that use their work while keeping content available to the community. YouTube is now applying this same philosophy to the era of AI.
Earlier this month, YouTube expanded access to its likeness detection technology for a pilot group of people whose voices are essential to a healthy society: elected officials, politicians and journalists. In a world where synthetic content can mimic a person’s face, defending the integrity of public conversation isn’t just a goal for a tech platform — it’s a necessity for democracy.
This tool provides a critical line of defense, allowing people to identify and request the removal of unauthorized AI-generated replicas on YouTube. Of course, no single tool is a cure-all. Bad actors will always try to find new ways to evade detection, a reality that demands constant innovation to ensure that as tactics change, defenses remain a step ahead.
On YouTube, the burden of finding a deepfake used to largely fall on the individual through manual privacy requests, a process that is no longer sustainable as the volume of synthetic content continues to explode. To meet this challenge, we’re applying the same automated power used to protect copyright to identify potential deepfakes before they’re widely shared, while still safeguarding free expression such as parody and satire.
But company-led innovation is only part of the solution, and a person protected on one platform shouldn’t still be vulnerable on another. Truly safeguarding people requires a consistent legal framework that reaches beyond the borders of any one app.
Likeness rights are a confusing patchwork of state laws, leaving people to navigate a legal maze that changes when they cross state lines. This stems from a fundamental gap in America’s federal system: While the physical and digital property people own is protected by federal law, their faces and voices are not.
That’s why YouTube worked with Congress on the No Fakes Act, which aligns with the White House’s call for a federal standard to shield individuals from digital impersonation. This legislation would establish a first-of-its-kind federal property right to your voice and likeness, making it illegal to publicly host unauthorized AI replicas.
Crucially, the bill would mandate a notice-and-stay-down standard. This means that once a platform removes an unauthorized fake, it must take steps to ensure the content isn’t simply re-uploaded. Scaling these standards through federal law recognizes a universal truth: Every person should have the right to decide how their digital likeness is used and the power to act quickly when it’s taken without permission.
We commend the bipartisan leaders who introduced this legislation, including Sens. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), alongside Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Florida), Madeleine Dean (D-Pennsylvania) and many others. They recognize that protecting a person’s likeness isn’t a partisan issue, but a necessary evolution of legal guardrails for the 21st century.
By passing the No Fakes Act, Congress can create a blueprint for the modern era. The Senate Judiciary Committee can kick-start this process by bringing the bill to the floor for a vote.
AI must be a partner to human creativity, not a replacement for it. With the right policy framework, the United States can support digital innovations that allow individuals to control their identities. While technology has provided the tools to power a new era of innovation, a clear legal standard should now ensure that people remain the architects of their digital futures.
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