President Donald Trump has signed the Take It Down Act, a bipartisan law that enacts stricter penalties for distributing unconsensual, explicit images such as Deepfakes and Revenge Porn.
The bill criminalizes the release of such images, whether it is genuine or dependent on AI. Anyone who publishes photos or videos can face criminal penalties such as fines, imprisonment, and compensation.
Under the new law, social media companies and online platforms must remove such material within 48 hours of notification from the victim. The platform must also perform steps to remove replicated content.
Many states have already banned sexually explicit deepfakes and revenge porn, but this is the first time federal regulators have stepped in to impose restrictions on internet companies.
First Lady Melania Trump lobbyed for the bill. This was sponsored by Officers Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Cruz said he was inspired to act after hearing that Snapchat had refused for almost a year to get rid of the 14-year-old girl’s AI-generated Deepfaki.
Free speech advocates and digital rights groups have raised concerns, stating that the law is too broad and could lead to censorship of legal images such as legal pornography and government critics.
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