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A bill that seeks to end the nonconsensual use of someone’s likeness to create deepfake pornography is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk.
In a rare display of bipartisan support, the House voted overwhelmingly to pass the Take it Down Act on Monday, a bill backed by First Lady Melania Trump and social media websites such as Meta, TikTok and X.
Hoping to crack down on revenge pornography, the bill criminalizes the dissemination of nonconsensual “deepfakes” in pornography – or using artificial intelligence to manipulate adult performers to appear like celebrities, average citizens, lawmakers and more.
Under the legislation, offenders could be subject to fines or imprisonment for publishing depictions of both real or computer-generated people without their consent or with harmful intent.
Representatives voted 409-2 in favor of passing the bill, with only Reps Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison, both Republicans, voting against it.
The bill is now headed to Trump’s desk for him to sign. The president has already said he will support the bill.
Under oversight from the Federal Trade Commission, online platforms will be required to incorporate a way for victims of revenge porn to request it be removed. Platforms then have 48 hours to remove the content.
However, with recent cuts to the FTC and other agencies, it’s unclear how smooth the report and remove rollout will be.
Versions of the Take it Down Act had been in the works for years, with lawmakers hoping to extend protections to people who are victims of “revenge porn” or who have intimate images of themselves published without consent.
Research shows that having your image used in pornography can have devastating mental, emotional or physical effects on people, particularly children. In 2023, the FBI released an alert warning that many victims of deepfake pornography end up being extorted. The agency said that in more than a dozen cases, victims died by suicide.
The issue has gained attention over the last few years as high-profile celebrities have become victims of deepfake technology. Last year, Taylor Swift became a victim of explicit deepfake images made in her likeness once they were posted on X and disseminated across other social media platforms.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the Take it Down Act in June of last year. But the specific legislation got a substantial push this year after Melania Trump took an interest in helping get it passed.
"Today's bipartisan passage of the Take It Down Act is a powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children," Melania Trump said on Monday.
"I am thankful to the Members of Congress — both in the House and Senate — who voted to protect the well-being of our youth,” the first lady added.
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