Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, alongside U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, hosted a bipartisan roundtable in Washington, D.C., featuring First Lady Melania Trump to advocate for the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act in the House. The bill, which has already passed unanimously in the Senate, aims to criminalize non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including deepfake pornography generated by artificial intelligence.

The event included participation from key House leaders such as Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. They pledged swift action on the bill following discussions with victims and experts on revenge and deepfake pornography.

Senator Cruz emphasized that "the TAKE IT DOWN Act empowers victims across the entire United States" by making it a felony to publish non-consensual intimate images. He highlighted that "our bipartisan bill requires Big Tech to have a notice-and-takedown process."

First Lady Melania Trump stated her commitment to protecting youth from online harm: "I urge Congress to prioritize the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act." She linked this initiative with her "Be Best" campaign focused on online safety for children.

Representative Salazar described the legislation's mission as stopping cyber abuse and preventing bullying and suicide caused by shame: "Our bill... is sending a very big message to big tech that they have to bring down these images... within 48 hours."

House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the need for legal measures as technology evolves: "As the dark side of technology advances... we’ve got to do what we can to stop this."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise noted that passing this legislation will provide protection and accountability: "It’s going to give them [victims] two things... protection... [and] accountability."

Advocates like high school student Elliston Berry praised efforts behind the bill, stating it is vital for technological growth beyond politics. Another advocate, Francesca Mani, stressed immediate action against AI exploitation in schools.

S.C. State Rep. Brandon Guffey shared personal insights into how difficult it is for families without legislative support: "With something such as TAKE IT DOWN, it would allow families...to have those images taken down."

Breeze Liu highlighted America's role in leading against online violence through this act: "The TAKE IT DOWN Act is an essential first step." Stefan Turkheimer from RAINN added that image-based sexual abuse continues trauma whenever images resurface.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act seeks uniformity across states where laws currently vary regarding NCII crimes. It includes provisions requiring websites to remove offending content within 48 hours upon victim notification while protecting lawful speech under First Amendment guidelines.