US President Donald Trump signed the 'Take It Down Act' into law, criminalising the non-consensual sharing of explicit images, including AI-generated deepfakes. The law mandates platforms remove such content within 48 hours of victim requests.
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed into law the 'Take It Down Act', a landmark federal legislation aimed at criminalising the non-consensual sharing of explicit images, including those created using artificial intelligence (AI). The law is designed to protect individuals, especially women and minors, from online sexual exploitation, deepfakes, and revenge porn.
The bill, which had broad bipartisan support, was strongly backed by First Lady Melania Trump. Speaking at the White House signing ceremony, Trump said, “This will be the first-ever federal law to combat the distribution of explicit imagery posted without subjects' consent. We will not tolerate online sexual exploitation.”
The new law mandates that social media platforms and websites must remove explicit images, including AI-manipulated content, within 48 hours of a verified request from a victim. Offenders who knowingly post or share such content without the subject’s consent will now face criminal charges, including potential prison sentences.
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First Lady Melania Trump has been a vocal supporter of the bill, aligning it with her long-standing "Be Best" initiative, which focuses on child welfare and online safety. At the event, she said, “This legislation is a national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.”
Melania also warned about the rising influence of artificial intelligence on youth. “AI and social media are the digital candy for the next generation, sweet, addictive, and engineered to impact cognitive development. These tools can be weaponised, shape beliefs, and even affect emotions in deadly ways,” she said.
The act comes in response to a wave of disturbing incidents involving the misuse of AI technology to create sexually explicit deepfake images of celebrities and minors. Public outrage surged after AI-generated explicit images of high-profile figures like Taylor Swift and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez surfaced online, drawing attention to the legal gap in protecting adult victims from such abuse.
While some US states already had laws in place to protect minors, the 'Take It Down Act' marks the first time the federal government has extended similar protections to adults.
Tech giants including Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok, and Snapchat have expressed their support for the legislation, pledging compliance with its takedown requirements. However, some digital rights organisations have voiced concerns about possible misuse of the law, warning that it might lead to censorship or bad-faith takedown requests.
Despite those concerns, the law's near-unanimous passage in Congress underlines its urgency and popularity. It was initially introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar and quickly gained traction amid growing bipartisan awareness of online harms.
With the signing of the Take It Down Act, the US takes a significant step toward ensuring digital safety and accountability, especially in an era of rapidly advancing AI technology.
