President Donald Trumphas signedthe bipartisan Take It Down Actinto law in an effort to combat non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes andrevenge porn. First ladyMelania Trumpchampioned the bill as part of her renewed "Be Best" initiative. It passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by her husband during asigning ceremonyin the White House Rose Garden on May 19. Introduced last year by Sens.Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, theTake It Down Acthas received overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill passed the Senate in February and later the House with a 409-2 vote on April 28. While most states have laws protecting people from non-consensual intimate images and sexual deepfakes, the legislation varies in classification of crime and penalty. And victims have struggled to have images depicting them removed from websites, increasing the likelihood the images were continuously spread and the victims retraumatized. "The Take It Down Act will protect victims of digital exploitation, hold internet platforms accountable by requiring them to remove such imagery from their platform and provide justice for victims by allowing prosecutors to go after those who publish nonconsensual explicit images online," White House Press SecretaryKaroline Leavitt told reporters. Here's what to know about the Take It Down Act and what it means. The Take It Down Act criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, also known as NCII. That includes AI-generated images, also referred to as deepfake revenge pornography. The law requires social media platforms and similar websites to remove revenge pornography content within 48 hours of notice from a victim. PASSED: Take It Down ActAdvancing this legislation has been a key focus since I returned to my role as First Lady this past January. I am honored to have contributed to guiding it through Congress.By safeguarding children from hurtful online behavior today, we take a vital…https://t.co/1DfwrdUhIQ — First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS)April 28, 2025 The key provisions in the Take It Down Act include: Criminalizing non-consensual intimate imagery by making it a federal crime to knowingly publish or share it on social media and other online platforms and clarifies thatconsent to create an image does not mean consent to share it.Non-consensual intimate imagery is defined to include realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that depict identifiable, real people. Requires websites and online platforms totake down non-consensual intimate imageryupon notice from the victim within 48 hoursof the verified request. It requires that platforms must make reasonable efforts to remove copies of the images or reposts. (The Federal Trade Commission is charged with enforcement of this section.) Protects free speech by targeting the "knowing publication" of non-consensual intimate imagery and requires that the computer-generated content meet a "reasonable person" test for appearing indistinguishable from an authentic image. Allows medical professionals or law enforcement to participate in the digital forgery of an identifiable individual when acting "reasonably and in good faith." TheTake It Down Actwas introduced by Republican Sen.Ted Cruzof Texas and Democratic Sen.Amy Klobucharof Minnesota in 2024. It received overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle after passing the House by a 409-2 vote on April 28, after having passed the Senate in February. Cruz said the billwas inspired by Elliston Berry and her mother after the popular social media platformSnapchatrefused to remove an AI-generated "deepfake" of the then 14-year-old for almost a year. He thanked the first lady and the bipartisan support "for locking arms in this critical mission to protect Americans from online exploitation." Klobuchar said in a statementafter the bill's passage that "we must provide victims of online abuse with the legal protections they need when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse." "These images can ruin lives and reputations," she continued. "But now that our bipartisan legislation is becoming law, victims will be able to have this material removed from social media platforms and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable." Deepfakes are photos, videos, or audio altered or created by AI to appear real, often without the subject of the media's consent. Many creator of deepfakes digitally place people into compromising situations, showing them appearing inappropriately or putting them in places that could spark controversy or embarrassment. The images have become a major cause for concern with the explosion of AI technology. Melania Trump heavily lobbied for the Take It Down Act, arguing that it protects individual privacy through strict ethical standards and robust security measures. On March 3, the first lady called the consequences of non-consensual sexually explicit images "toxic" in her first public comments since her husband returned to the White House. "It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes,"Melania Trumpsaid on Capitol Hill duringa rare public appearance. During the first Trump administration, Melanie Trump advocated against cyberbullying through her"Be Best" campaign,which emphasized on the "social, emotional, and physical health" of children through factors like social media and opioid abuse. Contributing: Savannah Kuchar and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is the Take It Down Act? New law takes on revenge porn, deepfakes
