"Danielle Citron, Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, testified that there's no finite way to stop deepfakes from spreading, but said a combination of "law, markets and societal resiliences" are necessary to get resolution.
"But law has a modest role to play," Citron conceded. She explained that victims in civil claims can sue for defamation or emotional distress from the videos, but added that it's "incredibly expensive to sue and criminal law offers too few levers for us to push."
"We tend to believe what our eyes and ears are telling us...video is visceral ..the more salacious it is, we're more willing to pass it on. The whole enterprise is to click and share," Citron testified. She offered several hypothetical situations where deepfakes can be used in damaging ways, including in pornographic materials and in Initial public offerings."