Prince Harry and Meghan's charitable arm urges Congress to act on AI deepfakes: 'More bills are sitting, waiting'
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable organization, Archewell Philanthropies, is urging lawmakers to act on legislation involving AI deepfakes as it calls out Big Tech for what it describes as retaliation “against basic safety measures to keep children safe.”
A statement recently posted on the couple’s website titled, “Can we all agree technology should not enable predators to target children?” applauded Minnesota for passing a ban on AI “nudification” apps earlier this year.
The legislation, signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) in May, bans the access or promotion in the North Star State of technology that could allow users to turn authentic images of an individual into fake, pornographic ones. The bill includes civil penalties of up to $500,000 for “each unlawful access, download, or use.”
Last week, a federal judge denied a request by xAI, Elon Musk’s company, for a temporary restraining order that would’ve stopped the AI ban.
“The Minnesota law is an example of leadership fit for the digital age: a bi-partisan decision to stop technology from enabling predatory behavior disproportionately targeting women and children,” the statement on Harry and Meghan’s site said.
“Even in a state with many differences of opinions, it was not controversial.”
“Leaders in other parts of the U.S. like Pennsylvania, North Dakota and California, have followed Minnesota proposing interventions and launching investigations to stop A.I. technology designed to allow the abuse, harassment, stalking, and sexualization of targeted individuals and children,” the post on the pair’s website stated.
“These state-level initiatives come after the successful passing of The Take It Down Act in U.S. Congress, which criminalizes the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and AI-generated deepfakes, and requires online platforms to remove them.”
President Trump last year signed the Take it Down Act, the bipartisan legislation that was championed by first lady Melania Trump.
“Archewell Philanthropies applauds leadership taking the tech-fueled sexualization of women and children seriously and doing all they can to keep society safe,” the statement said.
“Still more bills are sitting, waiting to be prioritized as the need for protection grows,” the post said, noting that the Defiance Act, a bill that would create a civil right of action for survivors of nonconsensual deepfakes and which Paris Hilton has been a vocal proponent of, has “been passed by the Senate twice but has yet to make it to a vote on the House floor.”
“This begs the question: why the delay? The answer may lie in the deepest offense to families and children: the tech industry’s commitment to pushback on these bills to protect their bottom line,” the post on Harry and Meghan’s site said. The pair, who wed in 2018, announced in 2020 that they were stepping down as full-time working members of the British royal family and moved to California.
“Big Tech has taken shocking steps to limit restrictions on or accountability for these objectively predatory A.I. product features,” the statement said.
“Most recently, ahead of the Minnesota law to ban ‘nudification’ apps going into effect,” the statement continued, “the trillionaire leader of the tech company responsible for X’s Grok, sued the state of Minnesota to stop the law from going into place,” the post said, without naming Musk.
“If one wonders why someone would try to stop a ban on AI technology producing deepfakes of people and children in the nude without their consent, they need look no further than the three different groups, including a UK lawmaker, an Arkansas family, and five children from Tennessee, all filing new lawsuits against that same Grok feature, alleging it created sexual material of them, just this week,” the statement said.
“The company is mitigating risk to their bottom line instead of aggressively responding to the clear evidence their product features are enabling predators to prey on women and children.
A representative for xAI didn’t immediately respond to ITK’s request for comment.
“Big Tech companies are raising billions claiming AI will bring society forward, yet they retaliate against basic safety measures to keep children safe,” the Archewell Philanthropies post said.
“Can AI make our world better while it enables the worst in humans? Should our children pay the price while we wait to find out?”
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Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Archewell Philanthropies has published a statement advocating for Congressional action on legislation targeting AI-generated deepfakes and nonconsensual intimate imagery. The organization cited Minnesota's May 2024 law banning 'nudification' apps—which imposes civil penalties up to $500,000 per violation—as an example of effective state-level protection. That law survived a legal challenge from xAI. The statement noted ongoing legislative efforts in Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and California, and highlighted The Take It Down Act, signed into law in 2025, which criminalizes nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and deepfakes. It also referenced the Defiance Act, which has passed the Senate twice but remains pending House floor consideration. The statement contended that technology companies have actively opposed such protective measures.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable organization, Archewell Philanthropies, is urging lawmakers to act on legislation involving AI deepfakes as it calls out Big Tech for what it describes as retaliation “against basic safety measures to keep children safe.”
A statement recently posted on the couple’s website titled, “Can we all agree technology should not enable predators to target children?” applauded Minnesota for passing a ban on AI “nudification” apps earlier this year.
The legislation, signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) in May, bans the access or promotion in the North Star State of technology that could allow users to turn authentic images of an individual into fake, pornographic ones. The bill includes civil penalties of up to $500,000 for “each unlawful access, download, or use.”
Last week, a federal judge denied a request by xAI, Elon Musk’s company, for a temporary restraining order that would’ve stopped the AI ban.
“The Minnesota law is an example of leadership fit for the digital age: a bi-partisan decision to stop technology from enabling predatory behavior disproportionately targeting women and children,” the statement on Harry and Meghan’s site said.
“Even in a state with many differences of opinions, it was not controversial.”
“Leaders in other parts of the U.S. like Pennsylvania, North Dakota and California, have followed Minnesota proposing interventions and launching investigations to stop A.I. technology designed to allow the abuse, harassment, stalking, and sexualization of targeted individuals and children,” the post on the pair’s website stated.
“These state-level initiatives come after the successful passing of The Take It Down Act in U.S. Congress, which criminalizes the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and AI-generated deepfakes, and requires online platforms to remove them.”
President Trump last year signed the Take it Down Act, the bipartisan legislation that was championed by first lady Melania Trump.
“Archewell Philanthropies applauds leadership taking the tech-fueled sexualization of women and children seriously and doing all they can to keep society safe,” the statement said.
“Still more bills are sitting, waiting to be prioritized as the need for protection grows,” the post said, noting that the Defiance Act, a bill that would create a civil right of action for survivors of nonconsensual deepfakes and which Paris Hilton has been a vocal proponent of, has “been passed by the Senate twice but has yet to make it to a vote on the House floor.”
“This begs the question: why the delay? The answer may lie in the deepest offense to families and children: the tech industry’s commitment to pushback on these bills to protect their bottom line,” the post on Harry and Meghan’s site said. The pair, who wed in 2018, announced in 2020 that they were stepping down as full-time working members of the British royal family and moved to California.
“Big Tech has taken shocking steps to limit restrictions on or accountability for these objectively predatory A.I. product features,” the statement said.
“Most recently, ahead of the Minnesota law to ban ‘nudification’ apps going into effect,” the statement continued, “the trillionaire leader of the tech company responsible for X’s Grok, sued the state of Minnesota to stop the law from going into place,” the post said, without naming Musk.
“If one wonders why someone would try to stop a ban on AI technology producing deepfakes of people and children in the nude without their consent, they need look no further than the three different groups, including a UK lawmaker, an Arkansas family, and five children from Tennessee, all filing new lawsuits against that same Grok feature, alleging it created sexual material of them, just this week,” the statement said.
“The company is mitigating risk to their bottom line instead of aggressively responding to the clear evidence their product features are enabling predators to prey on women and children.
A representative for xAI didn’t immediately respond to ITK’s request for comment.
“Big Tech companies are raising billions claiming AI will bring society forward, yet they retaliate against basic safety measures to keep children safe,” the Archewell Philanthropies post said.
“Can AI make our world better while it enables the worst in humans? Should our children pay the price while we wait to find out?”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Archewell Philanthropies issued a statement titled 'Can we all agree technology should not enable predators to target children?' calling for Congressional action on AI deepfake legislation. Minnesota passed legislation in May 2024, signed by Governor Tim Walz, banning AI 'nudification' apps with civil penalties up to $500,000 per violation. xAI sought a temporary restraining order to block Minnesota's law; a federal judge denied the request. The Take It Down Act was signed into law, criminalizing nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and AI-generated deepfakes. The Defiance Act, which would create a civil right of action for deepfake survivors, has passed the Senate twice but has not received a House floor vote. The statement characterizes technology companies' opposition to protective legislation as 'retaliation against basic safety measures to keep children safe' and motivated by protecting 'bottom line' interests. The statement frames the delay in House consideration of the Defiance Act as potentially driven by technology industry opposition.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
- Archewell Philanthropies, the charitable organization of Prince Harry and Meghan, has issued a statement calling on Congress to pass pending legislation addressing AI deepfakes and nonconsensual intimate imagery.
- Minnesota passed a ban on AI 'nudification' apps in May 2024, which was upheld after xAI sought a court order to block it; similar bills are being pursued in Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and California.
- The statement criticizes technology companies for opposing protective legislation, noting that the Defiance Act has passed the Senate twice but awaits a House floor vote, while The Take It Down Act was signed into law in 2025.