Legislation backed by first lady Melania Trump to criminalize revenge pornography is heading to the House floor Monday night.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act passed the Senate unanimously after Melania Trump held a roundtable discussion with Republicans and one House Democrat, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The bill is expected to pass the House swiftly before heading to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The bill has 21 co-sponsors in the Senate and 41 co-sponsors in the House.
“TAKE IT DOWN Act is a commonsense bill that keeps people safe,” Khanna told the Washington Examiner. “I was proud to support it and show up for Senator Cruz and the First Lady’s discussion. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”
The bill, introduced in the House by Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA), would make it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate imagery, including “digital forgeries” through artificial intelligence. It requires social media platforms to remove images that the victim requests within 48 hours.
The penalties include three years in prison for sharing nonconsensual intimate images, penalties of up to 2 1/2 years in prison for threat offenses involving minors, and 1 1/2 years in prison for threats involving adults.
The bill passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month by a 49-1 vote.
“I remain dedicated to championing child well-being, ensuring that every young person can thrive and ‘Be Best,’” the first lady said in a statement after it passed the committee. “Thank you to the House Energy & Commerce Committee for advancing the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This marks a significant step in our bipartisan efforts to safeguard our children from online threats.”
The round table Melania Trump held in March consisted of victims and advocates. During the discussion, she made it a point to call out key Democratic lawmakers who skipped the meeting.
“I must admit, I expected to see more Democratic leaders with us today to address this serious issue,” she said.
“Surely as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics,” she continued.
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The bill was sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in the Senate. Cruz said the bill was inspired by Elliston Berry, who was 14 years old when Snapchat refused to remove an AI-generated nonconsensual graphic image of her that was posted for almost a year.
“I was shocked, violated, and felt unsafe going to school,” Berry said in a press release. “Thankfully, I was able to work with Senator Ted Cruz’s office to write the TAKE IT DOWN Act — and today is an important milestone towards that bill becoming law, so that no other girl has to go through what I went through without legal protections in place.”