- Efforts to regulate AI-generated deepfake pornography could raise First Amendment concerns and lead to pushback from free speech advocates (Muscatine Journal).
- Proposing to remove Section 230 protections for tech platforms risks backlash from Big Tech, digital rights groups, and may face significant legal challenges (Daily Nonpareil).
- The fast-tracking requirement for tech companies to remove harmful deepfake content within 24 hours could be difficult to enforce and may lead to claims of inadequate due process or over-censorship (Daily Nonpareil).
- Stringent scrutiny of Chinese technology firms and foreign investment could provoke economic or diplomatic tensions, potentially affecting U.S. markets and international relations (Manchester Press, Mitchell County Press-News).
- Mishandling or accidental disclosure of sensitive information on unsecured digital communication platforms highlights gaps in national security protocols and could erode public trust (Gazette, Des Moines Register).
August 2024: Ashley Hinson Introduced Bipartisan Bill To Target AI-Generated ‘Deepfake’ Pornography According to Daily Nonpareil, "A bipartisan bill being led by Republican Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and a Massachusetts Democrat will attempt to crack down on the growing threats and distribution of sexually explicit 'deepfakes' on digital platforms." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
2024: Hinson Sought To Remove Section 230 Immunity For Platforms Failing To Remove Deepfake Pornography According to Daily Nonpareil, "Hinson and U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts introduced legislation that would carve out Section 230 protections for Big Tech companies that fail to remove 'deepfake' pornography, including that generated by artificial intelligence, from their platforms." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
2024: Hinson Stated Deepfakes Presented Growing Threat To Online Trust And Victims According to Daily Nonpareil, "'We know deepfakes and other AI-altered and AI-generated content present a significant and growing threat to our ability to trust what we see online, as well as the potential for bad actors to create malicious deepfake content that can cause serious harm to victims,' Hinson told reporters during a weekly conference call Thursday." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
2024: Hinson’s Bill Would Require Platforms To Remove Harmful Deepfake Content Within 24 Hours According to Daily Nonpareil, "Under the legislation, tech platforms would have a legal obligation to act responsibly in protecting others from harm, which includes having a 'reasonable process' for preventing such privacy violations, which includes 'a clear and accessible process' for reporting, investigating and removing harmful content within 24 hours." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
2024: Hinson Urged Accountability For Big Tech On Deepfake Content According to Daily Nonpareil, "'Big Tech companies shouldn't be able to hide behind Section 230 if they aren't protecting users from deepfakes and other intimate privacy violations,' Hinson said." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
2024: Hinson Expressed Concern Over Deepfake Threats To Children And Minors According to Daily Nonpareil, "I think it's just become way too easy for these bad actors to not only create this content, but circulate these inappropriate images, these deepfakes, online," Hinson said. "As a mom, this really worries me. We are seeing our kids grow up in a totally different time. We are in kind of uncharted territory with the rise of social media and how things can quickly spread." [Daily Nonpareil, 8/6/24]
August 2024: Ashley Hinson Introduced Bipartisan Bill To Regulate AI-Generated Deepfake Pornography According to Muscatine Journal, "A bipartisan bill being led by Republican Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and a Massachusetts Democrat will attempt to crack down on the growing threats and distribution of sexually explicit 'deepfakes' on digital platforms." [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 8/6/24]
August 2024: Hinson Sought To Remove Section 230 Protections For Platforms Failing To Remove Deepfake Pornography According to Muscatine Journal, "Hinson, of Marion, and U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, of Massachusetts, introduced legislation that would carve out Section 230 protections for Big Tech companies that fail to remove 'deepfake' pornography, including that generated by artificial intelligence, from their platforms." [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 8/6/24]
August 2024: Hinson Asserted Deepfakes Posed A Growing Trust And Safety Threat According to Muscatine Journal, "We know deepfakes and other AI-altered and AI-generated content present a significant and growing threat to our ability to trust what we see online, as well as the potential for bad actors to create malicious deepfake content that can cause serious harm to victims," Hinson told reporters during a weekly conference call Thursday. [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 8/6/24]
August 2024: Hinson Emphasized Parental Concerns About Online Deepfake Harms According to Muscatine Journal, "I think it's just become way too easy for these bad actors to not only create this content, but circulate these inappropriate images, these deepfakes, online," Hinson said. "As a mom, this really worries me. We are seeing our kids grow up in a totally different time. We are in kind of uncharted territory with the rise of social media and how things can quickly spread." [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 8/6/24]
August 2024: Hinson Argued Her Bill Balanced First Amendment Concerns According to Muscatine Journal, "Hinson said her bill explicitly states that it is not construed to violate First Amendment rights. 'There's a lot of bipartisan momentum here when it comes to protecting our kids online, so I'll continue working to build consensus on that and strike that right balance,' she said. '… We were very clear to try to balance that protection with making sure we're holding bad actors accountable.'" [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 8/6/24]
March 2025: Hinson Addressed Signal App Group Chat Disclosure Incident According to The Gazette, 'She also fielded a question about the Signal app group chat that inadvertently disclosed plans for a U.S. military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. "Clearly there was a mistake made here," Hinson said after noting, "We need to make sure we have proper platforms for people to communicate."' [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 3/28/25]
Hinson Emphasized Importance Of Secure Communication Of Classified Information According to The Gazette, 'Her biggest concern, she said, is ensuring classified information is communicated in classified settings. "So we're going to take a look at that and make sure that doesn't happen again," Hinson said, but added, "at the end of the day, what I care about in this bigger conversation is we were able to take out some terrorists and return and reopen one of the biggest shipping channels in the world. That's a really big priority. But we need to be having conversations about how this information is communicated."' [Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 3/28/25]
March 2025: Ashley Hinson Cited 'Mistakes' In Signal Chat Leak And Called For New Procedures According to Des Moines Register, 'U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said "there were mistakes" made and necessary procedures should be set after a journalist reported that he was included in an unsecured chat with the country's top national security officials detailing military plans for airstrikes in Yemen.' [Des Moines Register, 3/29/25]
March 2025: Ashley Hinson Urged Modern Communication Methods For National Security Officials According to Des Moines Register, 'After reading reports about the messages, Hinson also said there should be a more modern way for senior national security officials to communicate with each other in real time.' [Des Moines Register, 3/29/25]
March 2025: Ashley Hinson Emphasized The Need For Precautions To Prevent Sharing Sensitive Information On Unclassified Channels According to Des Moines Register, 'Hinson said that, as the administration's investigation continues, there should be "necessary precautions and procedures put into place so that we can ensure sensitive information is not shared with unauthorized individuals on unclassified channels."' [Des Moines Register, 3/29/25]
Ashley Hinson Recounted 2011 Chinese National Case In Tama County As Evidence Of IP Risks In 2023 According to Mitchell County Press-News, 'Hinson was referring to a case in which a Chinese national was caught digging in a Pioneer Hi-Bred test field in Tama County near Dysart in May 2011. Six Chinese nationals eventually faced criminal charges for digging up genetically modified corn seed and trying to smuggle it out of the country.' [Mitchell County Press-News, 2/16/23]
Ashley Hinson Warned About Chinese Sourcing Of US Intellectual Property Through Investment In 2023 According to Mitchell County Press-News, "'A company like that is investing literally millions upon millions of dollars in (research and development) only for the Chinese to turn around and try to steal it, which is why they probably bought it -- they got caught, so now they have to go about it the old-fashioned way and buy the tech.'" [Mitchell County Press-News, 2/16/23]
Ashley Hinson Supported Foreign Investment Except From Chinese Communist Party For Strategic Reasons In 2023 According to Mitchell County Press-News, 'I think we need to see more of that investment in rural America no matter who it is, except for the Chinese Communist Party, which is doing it for strategic reasons to undermine our safety.' [Mitchell County Press-News, 2/16/23]
2023: Hinson Emphasized Need To Protect U.S. Intellectual Property Against China According to Manchester Press (Iowa), 'Hinson also spoke of protecting the intellectual property of companies in the United States. "As a member of the select committee on competition with China, we need to protect our intellectual property and innovations happening here. We need to protect that American time, money and ingenuity."' [Manchester Press (Iowa), 4/12/23]
March 2024: Hinson Co-Led Legislation To Force TikTok-ByteDance Split According to Des Moines Register, "Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican who represents northeast Iowa, co-lead the legislation to force the split between TikTok and ByteDance." [Des Moines Register (Iowa), 3/14/24]
March 2024: Hinson Compared TikTok To A 'Chinese Spy Balloon' And Criticized Its Content According to Des Moines Register, "TikTok is targeting young girls with eating disorder videos and pushing content that 'downplays terrorism on TikTok in the U.S,' Hinson said in a Tweet. Hinson compared TikTok to a Chinese spy balloon in people's phones and is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party." [Des Moines Register (Iowa), 3/14/24]
March 2024: Hinson Spoke On House Floor Defending TikTok Ban Legislation According to Des Moines Register, 'Today we are sending a message to the CCP that we are going to deflate the 140 million spy balloons that they have installed on American phones,' Hinson said Wednesday before the vote. [Des Moines Register (Iowa), 3/14/24]
March 2024: Ashley Hinson Co-Led Legislation To Force TikTok Divestment Or Face Ban According to Muscatine Journal (Iowa), "Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is co-leading legislation to force the Chinese owners of the popular social media platform to divest its U.S. subsidiary or face a ban." [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 3/14/24]
March 2024: Hinson Explained Bill Would Block Apps Controlled By Foreign Adversaries Unless Owners Severed Ties According to Muscatine Journal (Iowa), "The bill would prevent app store availability or web-hosting services in the U.S. for applications, like TikTok, unless the application severs ties to entities like ByteDance that are subject to the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)." [Muscatine Journal (Iowa), 3/14/24]