From waking up to terrifying messages filling her phone screen to standing in the same room as President Donald J. Trump as he shared her story during his State of the Union address March 4, sophomore Elliston Berry changed one of the most horrifying nightmares of her life into a victory for younger generations.
Berry’s privacy was ripped from her after a peer took several of her pictures from social media to put through an artificial intelligence software to create fake nude photos of her during her freshman year on Oct. 2, 2023.
“We need to hold Big Tech accountable to take action,” Berry said at a round table discussion with First Lady Melania Trump the day before the State of the Union address. “I came here today to not only promote this bill, but to fight for the freedom of so many survivors millions of people, male, female, teenage children, kids all are affected by the rise of this image-based sexual abuse. This is unacceptable.”
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After eight months of battling with social media companies and local authorities, Berry’s mom took it to Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-Texas), who stepped in to help Berry.
“There were no laws or anything in the Student Code of Conduct about it, so nobody knew what to do with what he had done,” Berry’s mother, Anna McAdams, said. “At that point is when I started calling anybody that would listen. But it wasn’t until Cruz’s office got a hold of the story, and he was like ‘oh, we need to do something to help them.”
Cruz is the sponsor for the “Take It Down” Act which protects citizens from the acts done to those like Berry.
“The bill protects really anybody, protecting them from deepfake images or AI crimes that are online,” Berry said. “I’ve been able to work with Sen. Ted Cruz, as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), so it’s crazy to see all these people that are in law and that have that power and authority to listen to me. I’m just a normal person. It’s just been really inspiring.”
Beyond Parker County, Berry said this is necessary to protect everyone as these scenarios continue to happen.
According to Thorn, a nonprofit made to protect children from sexual abuse, one in 10 minors know someone who has been affected by AI generated nudes created by a peer. The treatment these children have endured have resulted in depression, fear, and for some, even suicide.
“A lot of people across the country, and, honestly, around the world, have reached out to us,” McAdams said. “All these other countries don’t have laws in regards to it as well, so they’re really looking to the US to pass the “Take it Down” bill to be able to use that for verbiage in their own country.”
The Senate passed the legislation with bipartisan support during the February session and the previous, and now representatives in the House will vote to decide whether to enact the legislation. Berry and McAdams said they hope this act will also be implemented into schools nationwide.
“The next step for us is going to be trying to get it in schools, ” McAdams said. “This is a big deal—AI is a big deal, and we have things in the Student Code of Conduct to cover AI cheating, but to realize that it can be a bullying tactic, and that it can be something that could really hurt others.”
When going through this life-altering event, Berry said she confided in people around her, family, friends and her church’s high school small group, where her perseverance was evident to everyone around her.
“She is so bold in her faith, which I love about her, and I believe is a gift from God, ” Christ Chapel small group leader Mary Jane Bentley said. “She has the strength from within, because of the Holy Spirit to guide her through the process of what to do. I’m just so proud of her for standing up for not only what is right, but also for the next.”
Because of Berry’s boldness, she has created something beautiful out of her tragedy, and she said the “Take It Down” Act helps those who are suffering in the same way she did.
“Everyone knows it’s happening, and I can’t hide from this anymore,” Berry said. “But I also think of it as a good thing, as I was able to stand up for this, and I was able to change my fate, and hopefully be able to change other people’s.”
