President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law Monday with first lady Melania Trump that would force online platforms to remove artificial intelligence-generated deepfake images and other forms of revenge pornography.
While most states already have legislation to criminalize revenge pornography, only 20 states have laws specifically covering AI-produced “deepfake” pornography. The Take It Down Act requires social media companies to develop new processes for removing “nonconsensual intimate imagery” within 48 hours of receiving complaints. Furthermore, the bill imposes new criminal penalties on individuals who post such images and videos.
The first lady has been a vocal supporter of the Take It Down Act, including hosting multiple victims at the president’s joint address to Congress in March. The bill, originally introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last summer, was eventually passed in April with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“I want to thank Melania for your leadership in this very important issue,” the president declared during a White House Rose Garden signing ceremony. “America is blessed to have such a dedicated and compassionate first lady.”
“With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deep fakes and other explicit images distributed against their will. This is wrong. It’s just so horribly wrong,” he continued. “Today, we’re making it totally illegal.”
During her own remarks on Monday from the White House Rose Garden, the first lady singled out Elliston Berry, a 15-year-old NCII victim, for “making her voice heard” on the matter.
“This victory belongs first and foremost to the heroic survivors who shared their stories and the advocates who never gave up. By requiring social media companies to take down this abusive content quickly, we are sparing victims from repeated trauma and holding predators accountable,” Cruz declared after the bill’s passage.
Still, some have argued that the new law could infringe on the First Amendment.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of just two House members who voted against the bill, referred to the legislation as “a slippery slope, ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences.”
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You can watch Trump’s remarks in full below.