“If this legislation is approved, those protections would now include a performer's voice and likeness, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to preserve individual voice, image and likeness against irresponsible and unethical AI in the form of deep fakes and audio cloning.”
US · StateTennessee General Assembly (113th)
Tennessee ELVIS Act — Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (2024)
First state law updating right-of-publicity protections for the AI era: adds 'voice' to Tennessee's Protection of Personal Rights law and creates liability for unauthorized AI voice cloning and deepfakes of performers, including distributing tools whose primary purpose is unauthorized replication. Backed by RIAA, the Recording Academy, ASCAP, BMI, ACM and SAG-AFTRA; became a template for likeness bills in other states and for the federal NO FAKES debate.
Vehicles carry asks; asks outlive them
Asks on this vehicle
Sorted by what filers wanted done to the rules
Claims filed here
“While Tennessee’s preexisting law protected name, image, and likeness, it did not specifically address new, personalized generative AI cloning models and services that enable human impersonation and allow users to make unauthorized fake works in the image and voice of others.”
“I'm here today to testify in support of the NO FAKES Act. Our members believe that AI technology, left unregulated, poses an existential threat to their ability to, one, require consent for the creative use of their digital representation.”
Speaker: Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director. Third-party verbatim transcript.
“SAG-AFTRA members and those who rely on their face and voice for their livelihood will be able to demand platforms remove illegal voice and image clones. Creatives will also be able to seek damages from those who intentionally cause harm.”
“this legislation that provides balanced and effective protections for all individuals against exploitative uses of their voice and likeness while supporting free speech, reducing litigation and achieving the promise of AI technology”
“By federalizing a new likeness right and coupling it to notice-and-staydown requirements, aggressive statutory damages, and easy unmasking, it creates millions in new annual costs for digital services, both small and large, which favors incumbents and creates barriers to entry.”
“Equity is calling on the government to introduce a new system of automatic rights over your voice, face and body for all. These ‘personality rights’ would allow everyone to have control over their identity in the age of AI. They would provide a new layer of protection for performers against exploitation by AI models without your consent.”
Undated campaign page; docDate records access date (2026-07-21).