Utah
Utah Rep. Maloy introduces bill to hold tech platforms responsible for deepfake images
Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, sponsored new bipartisan legislation that would make social media and other platforms legally responsible if they fail to act on abusive deepfake images and cyberstalking.
On Monday, Maloy and Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., introduced the Deepfake Liability Act, a bill that would change how federal law treats websites and apps that host nonconsensual AI-generated sexual images and other intimate content.
“Abusive deepfakes and cyberstalking are harming people across the country, and victims deserve real help,” Maloy said in a press release. “Our bill creates a straightforward duty of care and a reliable process to remove harmful content when victims ask for help. Companies that take this seriously will keep their protections under the law. Those that do nothing will be held accountable.”
Maloy’s office noted that women and teenage girls are the overwhelming targets of nonconsensual deepfake pornography, which now makes up the majority of deepfake content online.
Changing Section 230 rules for AI content
The bill targets Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the law that has long shielded online platforms from being sued over most user-generated content.
The Deepfake Liability Act would condition those protections on whether a platform meets a new “duty of care.” To keep their immunity, companies would need to:
- Take basic steps to prevent cyberstalking and abusive deepfakes
- Respond to reports from victims
- Investigate credible complaints
- Remove intimate or privacy-violating content identified by those victims
The bill also clarifies that AI-generated content is not automatically covered by Section 230 immunity — a key change as generative tools make it easier to create convincing fake images and videos.
“AI shouldn’t have special privileges and immunities that journalists don’t get,” Auchincloss said in the press release, arguing that using bots or deepfakes to violate or stalk another person “needs to be a CEO-level problem for the trillion-dollar social media corporations that platform it. Congress needs to get ahead of this growing problem, instead of being left in the dust like we were with social media.”
Speaking about his broader “UnAnxious Generation” legislative package, Auchincloss told Time magazine that the Deepfake Liability Act is meant to move platforms from a “reactive” posture to a proactive one: Section 230 protections would hinge on actively working to prevent and remove deepfake porn and cyberstalking, not just responding when forced.
How it connects to the Take It Down Act
The new proposal is designed to build on a law that passed earlier this year: the federal Take It Down Act.
The Take It Down Act was co-sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. First lady Melania Trump also strongly advocated for the bill to be passed. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent and cleared the House on a 409–2 vote before President Donald Trump signed it into law on May 19.
That law makes it a federal crime to “knowingly publish” or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent, including AI-generated deepfakes. It also requires covered websites and social media platforms to remove such material — and make efforts to delete copies — within 48 hours after a victim reports it.
Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission, and platforms have until May 2026 to fully implement the required notice-and-removal systems.
The Deepfake Liability Act uses that same basic notice-and-removal framework but goes further by tying Section 230 protections to whether companies meet a clear duty of care.
Maloy and Auchincloss say that change would ensure that platforms that ignore reports of abuse no longer have the same legal shield as those that take active steps to protect victims.
Supporters say it closes a gap — critics warn about overreach
Advocates for reforming online liability say the new bill is a needed next step after Take It Down.
“The time is now to reform Section 230,” said Danielle Keats Citron, vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and a longtime scholar of online abuse, per the release.
Keats said the Deepfake Liability Act contains a “well-defined duty of care” that would require platforms to prevent, investigate and remove cyberstalking, nonconsensual intimate images and digital forgeries. She also argued that it would close a loophole by making platforms responsible not only for content they help create but also for harmful content they “solicit or encourage.”
The Take It Down Act from earlier this year had drawn criticism from some free speech and digital rights groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others, who said its fast takedown deadlines and broad language could pressure platforms to over-remove content, rely heavily on automated filters and potentially sweep in lawful speech — such as news reporting, protest images or LGBTQ content — in the name of avoiding liability, per The Associated Press.
This new measure is part of a broader, bipartisan push to regulate AI-related harms and tighten rules for how tech companies handle children’s safety, online abuse and emerging threats from generative tools.
It’s on nights like these that I’m reminded of the ravine that divides the NBA from all other levels of basketball. This Summer League tilt was sloppy on both sides, and not many fringe players earned an NBA contract tonight, by the looks of it.
This matchup has always been about the number-one pick AJ Dybantsa and the number-two pick Darryn Peterson. Rivals since high school, these two are in an eternal struggle for the designation of being “number-one”. They wanted to be the best in their high school class. They wanted to be the first off the board in the NBA Draft. Rest assured, these two will be battling for Rookie of the Year honors by the season’s end.
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Both stars were fully aware of the magnitude of this game, and both wanted to be the first to strike in the Thomas and Mack Center.
Dybantsa took his first touch all the way to the basket and forced up an off-kilter shot that missed everything.
Peterson took the ball the other way and forced up a top-of-the-key three-pointer that missed badly.
Dybantsa quickly picked up the slack, flipping an under-and-around lay-in and following that up with a good leading bounce pass through traffic to find a cutting teammate.
From there, the 1-2 combo settled in and let the game flow around them.
For the first time in a Utah Jazz uniform, Darryn Peterson walked among mortal men as a commoner. He had a very slow start in his Las Vegas debut, opening the night 0-for-3 from the floor and even whiffing on his first all-or-nothing foul shot. His steps were hurried, and he stood unstable before his first trip to the bench. Not quite so infallible outside of the mountain air in Salt Lake City.
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AJ claimed the first quarter, dicing up the defense with fadeaways, dribble chains, and this vicious, inhumane slam that will dominate your social media feed for the next day or so.
Washington set the tone for some — should we say physical — defense out on the perimeter, and the officials gave the Wizards liberty to reside in Peterson’s chest for the majority of the game. The number-two pick couldn’t get himself into a rhythm as he’d step out of bounds, dribble off his foot, and sputter under the heat of the Wizards’ aggressive double-team scheme.
They were incredibly handsy from end to end, frustrating Jazz ball handlers as the whistles piled up at the other end.
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AJ Dybantsa lives at the foul stripe — that’s his superpower — and he has since his days at BYU, where he led the nation in foul shots taken per game. Perfectly within his idiom, Dybantsa was 6-of-7 from the foul stripe — keeping in mind the experimental do-or-die free throw rule. Considering how much more physical the Wizards played at the defensive end, it’s a mystery how the Wizards managed to reside in the comfort of the bonus for the entire first half.
Neither player was efficient from the floor, but Dybantsa won the first half of this marquee matchup.
Dybantsa finished the first half with 19 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Peterson lagged behind with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and a pair of dimes.
The lead shrank to single digits, and what appeared to be a blowout in the first half — Washington led by as much as 20 — rapidly drew tighter in the second half. It had become a two-possession game before the clock hit 0:00 in the third quarter.
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Both stars lived up to the bill in this one, clearly displaying their individual talents despite their efficiency not leaping off the box score.
Peterson’s tendency to cough up possession has to get straightened out. He’ll be a target for his whole career, so learning to handle and exploit on-ball pressure will be critical to maximize his effectiveness and keep his teammates involved.
Cody Williams stole the show a bit for the Jazz, despite a rocky opening to the night. Though he struggled to stop Dybantsa on the defensive end, he notched 16 points on great efficiency (6-11, 2-3 3PT) plus 5 rebounds. He’s not a ball-handler, despite the Jazz’s wishes, but thrived on a newly added stepback mid-range jumper tonight.
Dybantsa had a strong night, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
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The Wizards ultimately won this game behind the strength of their NBA guys, Tre Johnson and Will Reily, who combined for 41 to pair with Dybantsa’s 27. They also strongly benefited from Jamir Watkins, Darryn Peterson’s assignment fouling a grand total of 9 times (not a typo).
Peterson likewise fouled 9 times in this one, an ugly blemish on what was an unsteady night for the rookie. He finished with 24 points on 6-18 shooting and 2-7 from three-point land (thanks to a bank-shot heave at the final horn). Dybantsa will be crowned the winner of this head-to-head with Peterson thanks to better highlights and the team win, but neither player dominated, despite what X will likely tell you.
Washington defeats Utah with a final score of 92-88.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The man arrested for murder in the 2006 death of his wife at a Utah national park left behind a suicide note in his Las Vegas jail cell, according to a police report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police released a public report on the death of David Vander Meer, 49, who was in custody on an out-of-state warrant.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in an affidavit that Vander Meer, a former youth pastor, was a suspect in the death of his then-wife, 28-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer, 20 years ago.
Bernadette fell to her death at Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Prosecutors said in their affidavit that they received new information implicating David, alleing that he began having a close relationship with a young girl when she was 14 and he was her youth pastor.
A fugitive task force took Vander Meer into custody in Summerlin, according to an arrest report, and he was booked into Clark County Detention Center on June 22.
In the report on his death, LVMPD said a corrections officer was conducting visual checks at about 9:30 p.m. June 24 when he noticed Vander Meer lying face down on the ground and unresponsive.
Several sections are redacted, but police wrote that the officer performed chest compressions until medical personnel arrived. Vander Meer was taken to UMC, where he was pronounced dead just after 2:36 a.m. June 25.
Investigators wrote that because of “the nature of his case,” Vander Meer was placed into protective custody. He was seen sitting upright and awake at 9 p.m., and he had no known medical conditions. He also did not mention being suicidal during a mental health screening.
Inside the cell, police wrote that Vander Meer “left a hand written suicide letter and a hand written will in his cell which has been photographed and impounded.” The following paragraph of the report was redacted, and no further details on Vander Meer’s death were disclosed.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released its official rulings on his cause and manner of death.
Bernadette’s parents, Richard and Laura Gudenkauf, told News 3 they long suspected Vander Meer played a role in her death.
“Because of the girlfriend,” said Laura. “I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
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