To curb the rise of ‘revenge porn’ and deepfakes, President Donald Trump, joined by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, on Monday, signed a new law that makes it a crime to share private or fake sexual images of someone without their permission, putting social media companies on high alert to act by reviewing their community guidelines.
Known as the ‘Take It Down Act’, the law was created to protect people from what is often called ‘revenge porn’ and deepfake videos.
This new law means anyone who shares these kinds of images or videos without consent could face up to three years in prison.
It also targets deepfakes—videos or pictures made with artificial intelligence to falsely show someone in sexual acts. These kinds of content have become more common online, often used to embarrass or harm people, especially women and teenagers.
Melania Trump supported the law as part of her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on children’s safety and mental health.
She said it’s painful to see young people suffer because of harmful online content. “It’s heartbreaking to watch teens, especially girls, struggle with the damage done by fake or private images spread online,” she said during the signing.
The law also places new rules on social media platforms. If someone reports a harmful image or video in form of ‘revenge porn’, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok must take it down within 48 hours.
They must also take steps to make sure it doesn’t get posted again. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be in charge of making sure companies follow these rules and can fine them if they don’t.
The law passed easily through Congress, with support from both Republicans and Democrats.
It was pushed forward by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar, who said it was important to act quickly to protect people, especially kids from online abuse due to ‘revenge porn’ and deepfakes.
While most people have welcomed the law, some free-speech groups are worried it might go too far and lead to the removal of content that isn’t harmful. Still, supporters say the law is a big step forward in keeping people safe from online threats.
