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Lee pitches "Elvis Act" to curb AI voice theft and seeks parental‑consent rules for minors online
Summary
Governor Bill Lee proposed the "Elvis Act" to protect Tennessee artists from AI impersonation and announced a separate bill to require parental consent for minors creating social‑media accounts in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE — Governor Bill Lee said Tennessee must protect its music industry from emerging artificial‑intelligence threats and announced proposed legislation he and lawmakers will pursue.
"We're calling this bill the Elvis Act to honor our very own king of rock and roll as well as his family who's still working to protect his legacy," Lee said, describing a proposal to make it harder to impersonate artists and steal voices using AI. He said Tennessee aims to be the first state to adopt such protections and a model for others.
On online safety, Lee also announced legislation to give parents new tools to oversee children’s online activity. “It'll require social media companies to get parental consent for minors to create their own social media account in Tennessee,” he said, framing the change as part of a broader effort to reduce youth depression, anxiety and loneliness tied to social media use.
What happens next: The governor offered the policy concepts but did not provide bill text or implementation details in the address; he said the proposals will be pursued with members of the General Assembly.
