Trump signs the Take It Down Act, criminalizing the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images and requiring platforms to promptly remove them when notified

The bill sailed through Congress with a focus on deepfakes and other nonconsensual intimate images.

The Verge 2025-05-20 Lauren Feiner

Context & Ripple Effects

Congress had already advanced the measure in a House vote to criminalize nonconsensual intimate-image posting, following earlier legislative attention to deepfake sexual imagery, including the proposed civil remedy for victims of AI-generated intimate images. The signature turns that bipartisan push into a federal platform-removal and distribution rule.

The law matters because it joins criminal prohibitions with obligations for the services that host or spread the material. Related coverage also records concerns that its enforcement could be used against disfavored content, making implementation safeguards as consequential as the removal mandate.

First-order effects

People who distribute nonconsensual intimate images, including deepfakes, face a new federal criminal prohibition.
Online platforms must establish a process to receive notices and promptly remove covered material, putting trust-and-safety, legal, and appeals teams on the operational front line.

Second-order effects

Platforms will need to align reporting intake, evidence handling, removal decisions, and user notifications around the new obligation; inconsistent treatment across services becomes a compliance risk.
The law raises the value of detection and provenance tools for intimate-image abuse, while also increasing pressure to distinguish valid victim reports from mistaken or abusive claims.

Third-order effects

If enforcement is durable, online-safety policy shifts further toward distribution-layer liability: services are judged not only on what users upload, but on how quickly they act after notice.
The combination of deepfake harms and removal mandates points toward broader likeness governance, but criticism in the related coverage suggests due-process and scope disputes will shape whether such rules expand.

The trend: This is one data point in the move from voluntary platform safety practices toward legally enforced removal duties for AI-enabled and nonconsensual likeness harms.

Discussion

@wired.com @wired.com on bluesky
And unlike the DMCA, the Take It Down Act doesn't include a robust deterrence provision, nor does it outline an appeals process for alleged perpetrators to challenge what they consider erroneous removals. — Read the full story: www.wired.com/story/take-i...
@wired.com @wired.com on bluesky
Free speech advocates are concerned that the lack of guardrails in the legislation could allow it to be used to fuel censorship. — The new law is modeled after the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which has been abused by fraudsters for years.
@fight@mastodon.fightforthefuture.org @fight@mastodon.fightforthefuture.org on mastodon
Unfortunately we're about to see the worst, repressive ways this legislation can be used. https://www.wired.com/...
@flotus @flotus on x
🇺🇸
@marshablackburn Sen. Marsha Blackburn on x
I was pleased to be at the White House to witness the signing of The Take It Down Act, which will criminalize the distribution of nonconsensual intimate imagery. I will be working to get the Kids Online Safety Act to President Trump's desk next to hold Big Tech accountable for f…
@agalanwilson Alan Wilson on x
Proud to stand with President @realDonaldTrump & so many other patriots today as he signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, cracking down on revenge p*rn & AI deepfake images. Websites will now be forced to REMOVE explicit content posted without consent. No more hiding. No more loopholes. […
@amyklobuchar Amy Klobuchar on x
Big news: my bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act w/Sen. Cruz was signed into law by the President today. It protects victims of online abuse and set some rules of the road for social media and AI. Thank you to the First Lady for her support and to the advocates who made this possible.
@bradrcarson Brad Carson on x
Honored to be at the White House for the signing of the Take It Down Act, the first federal bill to criminalize deepfake porn esp when made w AI. Worked w many for over a year to see this thru. Congrats to @EncodeAction and others on today! [image]
@ingrahamangle Laura Ingraham on x
.@POTUS: “It's my honor to officially sign the ‘Take It Down Act’ into law... With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deep fakes and other explicit images distributed against their will... We're making it totally illegal.” [video]
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
.@FLOTUS gives remarks prior to the signing of the ‘Take It Down Act’ to protect children from online exploitation: “This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or [v…
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
BREAKING: President Donald J. Trump has officially signed the Take It Down Act into law, an historic win in the fight to protect victims of revenge porn. [video]
@reppatharrigan Congressman Pat Harrigan on x
A few weeks ago, I voted for the TAKE IT DOWN ACT in the House. Today, it's the law! Justice is here for the victims, and a reckoning is coming for those who thought they could get away with preying on the vulnerable.
@repnicole @repnicole on x
Today @POTUS signed the Take It Down Act, bipartisan legislation I co-sponsored, into law! Together we're protecting women (and men) from becoming victims of digital exploitation. [image]
@repkevinhern Congressman Kevin Hern on x
I'm honored to be at the @WhiteHouse today to witness @POTUS sign the Take It Down Act into law! Earlier this year, @FLOTUS came to Capitol Hill for a roundtable that I was grateful to be a part of. We heard directly from teenagers whose lives had been destroyed by malicious
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
.@FLOTUS: “As First Lady, my Be Best initiative is focused on improving children's well-being, encouraging kindness and creating a safer online environment for our youth. Today, I'm proud to say that the values of Be Best will be reflected in the law of the land.” [video]
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
.@POTUS: “It's my honor to officially sign the ‘Take It Down Act’ into law... With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deep fakes and other explicit images distributed against their will... We're making it totally illegal.” [video]
@housegop @housegop on x
The Take It Down Act was signed into LAW by @POTUS! Congratulations to @FLOTUS, @RepMariaSalazar, and Chairman @RepGuthrie. Thank you for leading this effort to protect children from exploitation online. [image]
@reprickallen Rick W. Allen on x
✅ SIGNED INTO LAW: The Take It Down Act As a grandfather of 14, I was proud to support this bill in @HouseCommerce and on the House floor. Thank you to @FLOTUS for your tireless work to create a safer digital future and protect our kids from online exploitation. [image]
@replisamcclain Chairwoman Lisa McClain on x
I'm proud to have stood alongside @POTUS when he signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act into Law. [image]
@repnancymace Rep. Nancy Mace on x
We're at the @WhiteHouse as the Take It Down Act is signed into law. Thank you, President Trump. 🇺🇸 With the rise of AI and deepfake a*use, women and children have been left vulnerable for too long. The Take It Down Act finally gives victims real protection, and makes exploita…
@repmariasalazar Rep. María Elvira Salazar on x
President Trump has officially signed my TAKE IT DOWN ACT, putting predators, platforms, and AI abusers on notice! Proud of this win for families in FL-27 and all over the USA! [image]
@sentedcruz Senator Ted Cruz on x
The TAKE IT DOWN ACT is an historic win for victims of revenge porn and deepfake image abuse. Predators who weaponize new technology to post this exploitative filth will now rightfully face criminal consequences, and Big Tech will no longer be allowed to turn a blind eye to the …
@housecommerce @housecommerce on x
WATCH: @FLOTUS speaks at the @WhiteHouse on the TAKE IT DOWN Act: “This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American especially young people can be better protected from nonconsensual images.” This bill will protect countless Americans [vide…
@repharshbarger Rep. Diana Harshbarger on x
The Take It Down Act is a crucial step in protecting our children from predatory behavior online. I was proud to support this important legislation!
@reppfluger Rep. August Pfluger on x
I just witnessed @POTUS sign the TAKE IT DOWN Act into law! This is a major step forward in protecting innocent victims and restoring online accountability, and I was proud to co-lead this legislation alongside @RepMariaSalazar. [image]
@meadorftc Mark Meador on x
It was an honor to join @AFergusonFTC and @MHolyoakFTC for the signing of the TAKE IT DOWN Act. I look forward to helping them and the dedicated @FTC staff enforce this law to protect our most vulnerable. [image]
@lagovjefflandry Governor Jeff Landry on x
Great to be in the Rose Garden to witness President @realDonaldTrump sign the Take It Down Act. This legislation is crucial to protecting our children. Thank you to @FLOTUS for all her hard work on the bill! [video]
@libsoftiktok @libsoftiktok on x
BREAKING: Trump signed Melania's Take It Down Act. The act combats non-censual sharing of intimate images and deepfakes, requires platforms to delete revenge p**n, and offers jail time for perpetrators. We must protect children from digital exploitation! [video]
r/law r on reddit
Trump signs the Take It Down Act into law | President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law, enacting a bill that will criminalize …
r/FreeSpeech r on reddit
Trump signs the Take It Down Act into law
r/technology r on reddit
Trump signs the Take It Down Act into law
r/news r on reddit
Trump to sign law forcing platforms to remove revenge porn in 48 hours
r/politics r on reddit
Trump signs the Take It Down Act into law | The bill sailed through Congress with a focus on deepfakes and other nonconsensual intimate images.
r/politics r on reddit
Trump Signs Controversial Law Targeting Nonconsensual Sexual Content

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