South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has called on major payment platforms, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Google, and Apple, to take action against the use of their services for transactions related to AI-generated pornography. In a letter sent last week, Wilson and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general asked these companies to explain how they are addressing the issue of “deepfake” pornography—computer-generated sexual images created without consent.
The letter references reports indicating that most online deepfakes are pornographic in nature and primarily target women and young girls. It also points out that sellers of these materials openly advertise that payments can be made through leading financial platforms.
“Every time Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or Apple Pay approves one of these transactions, they’re not just moving money, they’re fueling abuse,” said Attorney General Wilson. “These companies know exactly what’s happening, yet they refuse to police this outrageous conduct. Let me be clear: since they only seem to act when their profits or legal liability are threatened, if Big Tech and Big Finance won’t do it voluntarily, we’ll force their hand. I am prepared to hit them where it hurts, because protecting women and children is not optional, and South Carolina will not tolerate complicity in their exploitation.”
The coalition is asking the companies to disclose current measures for blocking payments linked to deepfake pornography and commit to stronger safeguards going forward. Wilson noted that stopping financial transactions is an effective way to address the problem.
Earlier this week, Wilson joined 44 other state attorneys general in urging Meta to address AI-driven predatory interactions with children on Instagram. He has previously taken steps aimed at holding technology companies accountable for failing to prevent abuse.
“Big Tech and Big Finance love to lecture the rest of us about responsibility, but when it comes to protecting kids and women, they look the other way,” Wilson said. “Enough is enough. If these companies won’t do the right thing on their own, the states will force them to. We’re not asking, we’re demanding action.”
The full letter sent by the attorneys general can be read online.
