WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed legislation Monday that bans the nonconsensual online publication of sexually explicit images and videos that are both authentic and computer-generated.
The “Take it Down Act” makes publishing this content illegal and would subject violators to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties such as prison, a fine or both. The bill also subjects people to criminal penalties who make threats to publish these intimate visual depictions, some of which are created using artificial intelligence.
The measure requires websites, through enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, to remove this imagery after receiving a request from a victim within 48 hours and to make efforts to take down copies as well.
“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, and it’s just so horribly wrong,” Trump said during an afternoon signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. “It’s a very abusive situation, like, in some cases, people have never seen before. And today we’re making it totally illegal.”
First lady Melania Trump, who championed the legislation, attended the event.
“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 identity being abused through nonconsensual, intimate imagery,” the first lady said at the ceremony. “Artificial Intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation — sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children, but unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs and sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly.”
It is only the sixth bill Trump has signed into law in his second term as president so far. By his 100th day in office, he had only signed five bills — fewer than any other president in the first 100 days of an administration since at least Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, according to an NBC News analysis of data in the congressional record.
The Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent and the House overwhelmingly passed it in a 409-2 vote last month. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sponsored the bill in the Senate, while Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., introduced its companion in the House along with several other members, including House Democrats.
According to the bill’s sponsors, while many states have laws explicitly banning sexual deepfakes, they vary in terms of classification of crime and penalties.
Trump highlighted the bill in early March, joking that it would apply to him. “I’m going to use that bill for myself because nobody gets treated worse than I do online,” he said.
The first lady also held an event on Capitol Hill that month touting the proposal. “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deepfakes,” she said.
“This toxic environment can be severely damaging,” Melania Trump continued. “We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves free without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.”
Sahil Kapur, Scott Wong and Melanie Zanona contributed.
