Survivors + Allies Sponsored Bill Targeting AI-Enabled Sexual Violence featured by The Poly Post
Survivors + Allies, a UCLA-student organization within the CSW|Barbra Streisand Center, is working towards a new bill aiming to change Title IX policies by explicitly including technology-facilitated sexual violence. The group’s research includes how universities are responding to emerging forms of AI-enabled sexual exploitation. While California criminalized the nonconsensual publication of deepfake sexual content in 2025, Title IX policies at public universities have yet to reflect those changes.
Research conducted by Survivors + Allies across UC, CSU and community college campuses found that nearly one in seven survivors reported experiencing online sexual harm, yet the majority never sought institutional support. Many survivors said they were unaware that resources existed or feared they would not be taken seriously. Even among those who did report, some described feeling dismissed or retraumatized by campus Title IX processes, highlighting a gap between policy and student needs.
Survivors + Allies community mentor and research co-lead Sara Wilf said these experiences reveal a systemic issue: university Title IX offices tend to follow state legislation narrowly rather than proactively expanding protections. This led Survivors + Allies to shift their strategy from institutional advocacy to legislative reform. The bill, Assembly Bill 2212 or HEAR Survivors Act, would require campuses to update Title IX definitions, trainings and online resources to better address tech-facilitated sexual violence, ensuring students receive appropriate legal, emotional and institutional support.
For UCLA and other California campuses, the bill represents a potential turning point in how sexual violence is understood and addressed in the digital age. As AI tools become more accessible and misuse more common, advocates argue that campus policies must evolve accordingly to not only to hold perpetrators accountable, but to ensure survivors are believed, supported and protected.
