Hawley, Blumenthal Unveil Bipartisan Bill Empowering Working Americans to Sue Big Tech, AI Companies for Stealing Creative Works

Hawley, Blumenthal Unveil Bipartisan Bill Empowering Working Americans to Sue Big Tech, AI Companies for Stealing Creative Works

Monday, July 21, 2025

Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect consumers' data rights and hold Big Tech companies accountable for illegally pirating creators' copyrighted works to train their artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Senator Hawley's legislation follows his recent Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing where he sounded the alarm on AI companies' willful engagement in "the largest intellectual property theft in American history."

"AI companies are robbing the American people blind while leaving artists, writers, and other creators with zero recourse. It's time for Congress to give the American worker their day in court to protect their personal data and creative works. My bipartisan legislation would finally empower working Americans who now find their livelihoods in the crosshairs of Big Tech's lawlessness," said Senator Hawley.

"This bill embodies a bipartisan consensus that AI safeguards are urgent-because the technology is moving at accelerating speed, and so are dangers to privacy. Enforceable rules can put consumers back in control of their data, and help bar abuses. Tech companies must be held accountable-and liable legally-when they breach consumer privacy, collecting, monetizing or sharing personal information without express consent. Consumers must be given rights and remedies-and legal tools to make them real-not relying on government enforcement alone," Senator Blumenthal said.

Senators Hawley and Blumenthal have previously teamed up to put power back in the hands of users when it comes to Big Tech. Last Congress, they introduced a bipartisan framework to implement guardrails for AI that would protect consumers.

The AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act will:

• Bar AI companies from stealing and training on copyright works. The bill safeguards individuals' copyrighted materials from being used in AI training or AI-generated content without permission.
  
  
• Create a federal tort for data misuse. The legislation allows individuals to sue any person or company that appropriates, uses, sells, or exploits their personal data or copyrighted works without clear, affirmative consent.
  
  
• Provide transparency for creators. The bill requires companies to clearly disclose every third party that will access an individual's data at the time consent is sought.
  
  
• Ensure robust remedies. The legislation provides for stiff financial penalties, injunctive relief, and protects the ability of individuals to sue in court and join class actions.
  

Read the full bill text here.

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