The use of deepfake technology to produce pornographic content (deepfake pornography) is a form of sexual exploitation and violence of those most vulnerable to sexual harassment in our society: women and girls. Deepfake pornography, sometimes called synthetic pornography, refers to the process of manipulating an image by adding sexually explicit content. A 2019 study conducted by Deeptrace Labs found that 96% of deepfake technology is used to create non-consensual pornography targeting women and girls. As technology develops, US privacy laws fail to keep pace, leaving online predators unchecked. While there is no federal regulation on the use of deepfake technology, in the past few years, nine states including California, Texas, and New York have passed laws governing their use. The most substantial of which is California's AB 602, passed in January of 2023, which banned the distribution of pornographic deepfake images and videos made without consent and which may result in the defendant paying up to $150,000 in statutory damages. This literature review examines the rise of deepfake pornography used against women and girls, and the impact it has on its victims. It also compares how regulators in the US and certain other jurisdictions are addressing this issue. This review brings awareness to the growing online predatory activity facilitated through deepfake technology and the need for swift action to address this crisis on a nationwide scale.

At the University of Washington, first-generation students of color often navigate and negotiate their available support through Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Student leadership serves as a counter-narrative to the lack of representation and promotes action toward social change. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the ways in which first-generation students of color create, perpetuate, and increase access, support, and a sense of belonging through culturally responsive safe spaces on campus. Applying theories from George DeVos and Lola Romanucci-Ross on instrumental and expressive use of ethnicity, and Diana Bui’s essay on mutual aid associations, to interrogate both formal and informal structures of campus, as manifested in safe spaces for students of color who use these resources to enhance belonging and activism. This qualitative study uses DeVos and Romanucci-Ross’ and Bui’s theories to curate questions and analyze how ethnicity acts instrumentally and expressively in culturally responsive organizing. Through semi-structured interviews with executive board members of RSOs each representing different cultural backgrounds, I predict that deconstructing norms of student activism and fostering belonging are difficult among RSOs due to gaps of cultural knowledge and difficulty aligning diverse experiences and perspectives to multiple social causes. Through this research, I aim to refine my focus on the acquisition and perpetuation of ethnicity in student organizations and its impact on the undergraduate experience for first-generation students.