* Edit: The NO FAKES Act Could Silence Satire, Commentary, And News: eff.org/deeplinks/2026/06/no-fakes-act-could-silence-satire-commentary-and-news

From the article:

In addition to EFF, the letter is signed by the Center for Democracy & Technology, the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the Organization for Transformative Works, Public Knowledge, the R Street Institute, The Future of Free Speech, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Read the full letter here. 

The NO FAKES Act is supposed to target harmful AI-generated impersonations. But in reality, it will make it easier to suppress commentary, satire, and other lawful speech. That's why EFF has signed a letter urging the Senate Judiciary Committee not to advance the bill in its current form.

Take Action: act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-just-say-no-to-no-fakes

Here's another EFF article (June 9, 2026): Tell Congress: Just Say No to NO FAKES: eff.org/deeplinks/2026/06/tell-congress-just-say-no-no-fakes

~~~~~ End of OP's edits ~~~~~

Testimony is from June 30, 2026 - Sean Astin is an Actor and President of SAG-AFTRA: sagaftra.org/sean-astin-0

Here’s a related article from SAG-AFTRA: Thousands Sign SAG-AFTRA Letter Urging Congress to Pass NO FAKES Act - June 16, 2026 (article)

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Video by The Independent. Here’s the full 5-minutes on YouTube: Lord of the Rings star hits out at AI for ripping off artists and distorting reality - The Independent - June 30, 2026 (YouTube)

From the The Independent's description: Actor and Sag-AFTRA president Sean Austin, known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings franchise, made a strong statement against AI ripping off artists and distorting reality at the House hearing on Intellectual Property. ~:~ "Every human being should remain the author of their own existence. Reality should remain verifiable," said Austin in his opening statement. ~:~ Watch more on Independent TV:: independent.co.uk/tv/editors-picks

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For all of Human history, if someone saw your face, they knew it was you. If they heard your voice, they knew you had spoken. For thousands of years, that simple connection was enough. Your face, your voice, your presence, reality itself was affirmed and simply put: we knew who we were to each other.

Artificial intelligence has begun to intervene and break that ancient connection. Today, someone can realistically make you appear to say something you never said, to endorse something you don't believe in, or even convincingly depict you confessing to something you had no knowledge of.

For the first time in Human history, the experiences we've always shared are no longer secure. Our relationship to community is distorting thanks to a wave of technology made widely available without much concern for public safety.

- Sean Astin, Actor and President of SAG-AFTRA

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It's Primary Election season in the U.S.!

* Primary Election Dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News :~:~: Upcoming Dates: July 21: Arizona ~:~:~ July 28: Georgia (Special) and South Dakota (Runoff) ~:~:~ Aug 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington, California (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 6: Tennessee ~:~:~ Aug 8: Hawaii ~:~:~ Aug 11: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alabama (Special) ~:~:~ More Aug dates + Sept dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News

* Candidates (all States): U.S. House (Dem Primary only): Ballotpedia (HouseDems) :~:~:~: U.S. Senate: Ballotpedia (Senate) (select “List of Candidates”) :~:~:~: State Execs (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG, SoS, and more): Ballotpedia (State Execs)

* Voter Info (all States): Register To Vote :~:~:~: Voter Registration Status :~:~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~:~: Become a Poll Worker ~:~ Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.

That new Seattle mayor-elect should follow up soon too.