Texas Photographer Pulls Children's Portraits After Court Shields AI-Generated CSAM
Ashley Contreras, a photographer based in Hereford, Texas, has decided to cease sharing identifiable photos of minors on her website and social media, irrespective of parental approval. This choice comes in light of a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which dismissed charges against Steven Anderegg from Holmen, Wisconsin, accused of generating thousands of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) images using an AI tool. Judge John Z. Lee referenced First Amendment rights and Supreme Court rulings in his decision. Contreras voiced worries about the potential misuse of her images and highlighted her strong bond with her clients. She pointed out that simply deleting images from social media doesn't guarantee their safety from malicious actors. In May, UK schools were advised to eliminate student images due to similar issues.
Key facts
- Ashley Contreras is a photographer operating in Hereford, Texas.
- She will no longer post identifiable photos of children on social media or her website, even with parental permission.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled that the First Amendment protects possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
- Steven Anderegg of Holmen, Wisconsin, had CSAM possession charges dismissed under the First Amendment.
- Judge John Z. Lee cited Supreme Court precedents from 1969 and 2002 in the ruling.
- Contreras told KFDA she fears her innocent photos could be misused by bad actors.
- She noted that deleting a photo from social media does not erase it from others' hard drives.
- In May, U.K. schools were advised to remove student photos from websites due to blackmailer threats using such images to create explicit content.
Entities
Artists
- Ashley Contreras
- Steven Anderegg
- John Z. Lee
Institutions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- Supreme Court
- KFDA
Locations
- Hereford
- Texas
- Holmen
- Wisconsin
- United Kingdom