The House of Representatives passed a bill nearly unanimously on Monday (April 28) to ban “deepfake” and “revenge porn,” clearing its final hurdle in Congress.
The bill, known as the “Take It Down Act,” passed with a vote of 409 in favor and 2 against. It has now been sent to the desk of President Trump for expected signing.
After this ban on deepfakes takes effect, the release of unauthorized intimate images (commonly known as revenge porn) will be deemed a criminal offense. With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, such deepfake images are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Although these AI-generated deepfake images and videos are forged, they often appear very realistic.
The bill also mandates that once a request for takedown is made by an individual featured in an image, online platforms must remove explicit content within 48 hours.
The sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives, Republican Representative Maria Salazar of Florida, stated that this measure will help prevent cyberbullying and “suicidal behavior due to shame.”
Salazar said before the House vote, “The manipulation, blackmail, and public humiliation of young, vulnerable women using their images, faces, voices, and likenesses for amusement or revenge is abhorrent.”
“This is why we are advancing this bill – to stop this form of abuse that is spreading like wildfire on social media,” she said.
The bill was introduced in the Senate by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and unanimously passed in the Senate in February this year, with support from First Lady Melania Trump.
Melania Trump stated at a congressional roundtable on March 3, “This legislation is crucial to addressing the increasingly serious cybersecurity issues, protecting individual rights, and promoting a healthier digital environment.”
“By pushing for this legislation, Congress can take a significant step forward in ensuring accountability and promoting responsible online behavior.”
“The Take It Down Act represents a strong step towards justice, healing, and unity,” she said.
At the same event, Elliston Berry, a Texas youth who prompted the bill, shared the fear she experienced when she discovered she had become a victim of deepfake pornography at the age of 14.
“Fear, shock, disgust, these were just a few of the many emotions I felt,” Berry said. “I felt guilty, started blaming myself, even though I did nothing wrong, but I was too ashamed to tell my parents.”
Berry’s mother had contacted Snapchat multiple times to have the manipulated images removed, but it was only nine months later, with Cruz’s office’s intervention, that the pictures were taken down from the social platform.
Cruz stated at the roundtable, “It shouldn’t take a sitting senator or member of Congress personally calling to take down a picture or video.”
“This should be a right for every American. Every violated teenage girl should have the right to demand the removal of this garbage content, and this bill will give them that right in the form of federal law.”
The next day, Berry was invited as a special guest by the First Lady to attend President Trump’s address to Congress.
Trump stated in his speech, “Once the bill passes the House, I look forward to signing it into law.”
Currently, President Trump can officially sign the bill, as almost all representatives support the bill becoming law, except for Republican Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Eric Burlison of Missouri.
Massie explained his reasons for voting against the bill on social media, writing, “I voted against the bill because I believe it may have a slippery slope effect, be easily abused, and may have unforeseen consequences.”
He also shared an article pointing out concerns that the law might be used to suppress constitutionally protected freedom of speech and provide no recourse for users.
Nevertheless, Trump seems prepared to sign the bill with the support of the First Lady.
Melania Trump celebrated the passage of the bill on social media, stating she felt “honored to contribute to guiding this bill through Congress.”
She said, “Today, by protecting children from the harms of harmful online behavior, we have taken a crucial step towards nurturing future leaders.”