Booker clashes with Ted Cruz after blocking a deepfake porn bill in the Senate

Senators Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are locked in a conflict over a bill targeting the spread of AI deepfake porn, and they have very different ideas about who is to blame.

Yesterday, on the Senate floor, Cruz tried to pass the bipartisan Take It Down Act — which would criminalize publishing non-consensual sexually exploitative images, including those created with AI — via unanimous consent. Boeker, however objected and prevented the bill from moving forward. (Unanimous consent rules require only one senator to object to stop proceedings.)

According to Cruz, Booker’s objection was a politically motivated stunt against a bill supported by many of his own Democratic colleagues, a stunt for which Booker has no reasonable explanation. But according to Booker, it is Cruz who is motivated by politics and has rejected Booker’s efforts to negotiate the bill and address the issues facing him and other senators.

“(Senator Booker) agrees that we need laws that protect people from harassment, hold offenders accountable and force platforms to quickly remove this content,” a spokesperson for Booker said. “These laws must be written with strength and care to avoid unintended consequences. Senator Cruz refused to cooperate to address Senator Booker and other Senators’ legitimate concerns about the bill.”

Specifically, in Booker’s opinion, the bill puts forward overly broad definitions of terms like “deepfake” and “harm” – terms that could inadvertently result in prosecutions that fall outside the intended scope of the bill. Those are concerns that several senators appear to have, not just Booker.

However, Cruz claimed in the Senate that Booker had had many opportunities to raise objections or make changes to the bill but declined to do so.

“Nearly two weeks ago, I circulated this amendment to both sides of the aisle, and it cleared 99 senators,” Cruz said. “He had a week and a half to object… The language in the bill is verbatim (the same as) the language you agreed to, voted for and negotiated.”

Following Booker’s blocking of the bill, Cruz took to Twitter to accuse him of helping his opponent, Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), whose Senate campaign Booker is publicly supporting. Booker’s true motive in his objection, Cruz argued, may have been to deny Cruz a legislative victory he could tout at home.

“Did Cory Booker – who is campaigning for Colin Allred – block a bill from Ted Cruz as a campaign favor for Allred?” GOP strategist Matt Wolking asked in a message retweeted by Cruz.

Booker’s objection also drew a harsh rebuke from Francesca Mani, a Westfield teen who became an anti-deepfake activist after she and other girls at her high school fell victim to AI pornography. Mani, who has worked with Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the past. (R-Westfield) and other members of Congress tackling non-consensual deepfakessaid the Take It Down Act would go a long way in bringing safety and justice to those affected by deepfake porn.

“By blocking the TAKE IT DOWN Act, my elected official, Senator Cory Booker, has failed me and my fellow victims and left us vulnerable,” Mani said. “This is very disappointing. I ask: why, Mr. Booker? Make no mistake: If this legislation doesn’t become law soon, teens like me will continue to be unaccountable.”

But Booker insists he is very interested in passing a bill to protect Mani and others like her. Cruz just needs to come to the negotiating table first and make sure everyone’s concerns are addressed, he said.

“It is clear from Senator Cruz’s social media posts that his floor stunt was not about advancing bipartisan legislation, but a cynical attempt to score political points in his tight race with Colin Allred,” Booker’s spokesperson said. “Senator Cruz is trying to create controversy where there has been none and should only be collaboration and cooperation – something he clearly has no interest in doing. Still, Senator Booker remains committed to working together to solve this problem and others.”

This story was updated with additional comment from Cruz at 2:55 p.m.