08/31/2026
For background:
The photography world has been talking about this. We knew it would likely come but didn’t think it’d be ruled “okay”. 🤢
A federal appeals court has ruled that privately owning AI-generated images of child sexual abuse, made without real child involvement, is protected under the First Amendment if the images stay in your own home.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss a possession charge against Steven Anderegg, who used the AI image generator Stable Diffusion to create hundreds of photorealistic images depicting minors in sexual situations.
🚨EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY🚨
I will no longer be posting identifiable images of children on my photography page, signed release or not.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that privately possessing AI-generated CSAM depicting “fictional” children can be constitutionally protected when it stays within the home.
That is enough for me to say I will not be a part of the problem. If our government and laws aren’t going to adequately protect children from what AI can do with their images, then I feel a responsibility to do my part to protect them.
Will this affect my business?
It might. I don’t care if it does.
I always want to give my honest attempt at living on the correct side of history no matter what the consequences are.
The safety of children and my clients will always come before my business. I am a mom, and I’m incredibly sick at the ruling. The system isn’t broken…it’s exactly how they want it.
