Trump signs Take It Down Act against to fight porn, deepfakes

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President Donald Trump has signed the Take It Down Act into law, aiming to combat the spread of nonconsensual intimate images (NCII), often referred to as revenge porn, including those made using AI deepfake technology. 

The law makes it a crime to share these private images without consent, whether they’re real or digitally created. Offenders could face up to three years in prison and pay fines.

The law also puts pressure on social media companies, requiring them to remove flagged NCII content within 48 hours and try to erase any copies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be in charge of enforcing these rules, and companies have a year to prepare.

The bill received broad support from tech companies, parents, youth advocates, and First Lady Melania Trump and passed quickly through Congress. 

However, some digital rights groups and legal experts warn that the law could have unintended consequences. 

They worry that the takedown process could be misused to remove lawful content or censor voices, especially if platforms are unclear about what qualifies as NCII. 

Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) also warn that it might hurt encrypted messaging services, since those platforms can’t see or remove private messages.

Critics are also uneasy about how the Trump administration might enforce the law. For example, Trump fired key FTC members who disagreed with him, raising concerns that the law might be used to punish political opponents. 

Trump even joked during the bill’s signing that he might use the law for himself, saying, “Nobody gets treated worse than I do online.” (Via: The Verge) 

Even some long-time advocates for protecting victims of image-based abuse, like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), opposed the bill. 

They fear it gives survivors false hope because companies may ignore takedown requests or become overwhelmed with fake reports.

What do you think about the Take It Down Act? Do you agree it’s a good step in combating AI-assisted harassment? We want to hear your thoughts below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.