The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced the bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act, initially introduced in the Senate by Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Senator Amy Klobuchar. The House version was introduced by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar and Madeleine Dean.
Senator Ted Cruz stressed the importance of the bill, stating, “As bad actors continue to exploit new technologies like generative artificial intelligence, the TAKE IT DOWN Act is crucial for ending the spread of exploitative sexual material online, holding Big Tech accountable, and empowering victims of revenge and deepfake pornography.”
The legislation aims to criminalize the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated images known as deepfakes. It mandates that social media and other websites remove such content within 48 hours upon receiving notice from the victim.
Last month, Senator Cruz and Representative Salazar led a bipartisan roundtable with First Lady Melania Trump to discuss the issue with victims of revenge and deepfake pornography. President Trump has voiced his support for the bill, expressing his eagerness to sign it into law.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act also garnered backing from the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and over 120 organizations from various fields, including victim advocacy, law enforcement, and technology. Some notable supporters are Meta, Snap, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, Amazon, and advocacy groups like the National Fraternal Order of Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Editorial backing for the bill comes from newspapers such as the Seattle Times, Houston Chronicle, and the Dallas Morning News.
