Trump hosts signing of Take It Down Act to make revenge porn federal crime

US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time), along with First Lady Melania, hosted a signing ceremony for the 'Take It Down Act', which will set strict penalties for the distribution of revenge porn or non-consensual intimate imagery online, AP reported.

 

The Take It Down Act makes it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish intimate images without the consent of an individual, including AI-created deepfakes. Under the act, social media companies and website will have to remove the material in 48 hours at the request of the victims, along with taking necessary steps to delete duplicate material.

 

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, told journalists that Melania Trump, the first lady, was crucial in getting this legislation passed.

 

The bill, which was awaiting the President’s nod, marks a crucial victory for the first lady, since she championed the legislation as part of her ‘Be Best’ campaign, which focuses on cyberbullying and child protection. Earlier, in March, she tried to influence the House members to pass the bill after it was cleared by the Senate unanimously in February. The House of Representatives cleared the legislation on April 29.

 

The bill was sponsored by Senetors Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. The support for the bill intensified after survivors were brought to Capitol Hill roundtable to share their stories. At the roundtable, Melania said, “It was heartbreaking to see what teenagers and especially girls go through after this happens to them”. 

While many states in the US have already banned the circulation of revenge porn or sexually explicit deepfakes, the Take It Down Act will serve as an example of federal regulators imposing obligations on internet companies.

 

Trump’s reaction to the Take It Down Act 

After the legislation was passed by the House of Representatives, Donald Trump indicated that he plans to sign this bill into law and termed it a “personal boon”. He said, “Nobody gets treated worse than I do online.”

 

Support and criticism for the bill 

While the bill received overwhelming bipartisan support, and even from companies with tech giants like Meta, Google, and Snap, which came out in support of it, free speech advocates and digital rights groups feel that the bill is too broad and can lead to censorship of legitimate images.