AB 2212, the Higher Education AI Response (HEAR) Survivors Act, Requires California’s Higher Education Institutions to Adopt and Publish Policies Addressing Deepfakes and Other Technology-Facilitated Sexual Harassment
SACRAMENTO, CA – Earlier today, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) introduced the HEAR Survivors Act, legislation requiring California's colleges and universities to adopt clear policies addressing technology-facilitated sexual harassment.
"Image generation tools like Grok are exposing our female students to new forms of sexual harassment, and our laws aren’t keeping pace," said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. "When an intimate image of a student is fabricated and weaponized against them, that student deserves to know their school will take it seriously. AB 2212 requires higher education institutions to adopt policies addressing nonconsensual deepfake images and videos. I'm grateful to Survivors + Allies for their leadership on this issue and for centering the voices of survivors in this work.”
California’s higher education institutions are responsible for maintaining learning environments free from sex-based harassment and discrimination. Despite this, a 2025 statewide study found that 70% of survivors of online sexual harm did not seek support from their home institutions, with many reporting they "felt [they] would not be taken seriously" or were “not aware [they] could reach out to a resource.”
The definition of "sexual harassment" that appears in California’s Education Code was developed before the rise of generative AI, leaving significant gaps in how campuses define, investigate, and respond to AI assisted sexual harassment. The HEAR Survivors Act updates the Education Code to reflect technology-facilitated sexual harassment, and requires public and private post-secondary institutions to develop and publish policies that reflect these updated definitions.
Survivors + Allies provided the following statement: "Our recent study on sexual violence across California college campuses found that 1 in 7 survivors experienced online sexual harm. We know that technology-facilitated sexual violence can have profound and long-lasting impacts on a student’s mental health, academic success, and emotional well-being. Our goal is to make sure universities are doing their part in explicitly prohibiting this form of sexual violence, updating campus trainings to reflect this growing issue, and providing more pathways to support for students. S+A is proud to partner with Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan to advance the HEAR Survivors Act."
The HEAR Survivors Act is sponsored by Survivors + Allies.
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