In a rare show of bipartisan unity, President Donald Trump signed into law the “Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks” (TAKE IT DOWN) Act on Monday afternoon, cracking down on the non-consensual sharing of intimate images—commonly referred to as revenge pornography—including those created with artificial intelligence.
The legislation, spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), passed both chambers of Congress with overwhelming support after gaining momentum from victims’ advocacy and a public push by First Lady Melania Trump.
The law makes it a federal crime to distribute non-consensual explicit imagery, including digitally manipulated “deepfake” content. It also mandates that online platforms remove such content within 48 hours of being notified, placing a new legal obligation on websites to address exploitative material swiftly.
“The scourge of revenge porn is nothing new,” Cruz said in a press release. “Perpetrators have inflicted serious emotional pain on their victims and done lasting damage to our society. This is unacceptable.”
Cruz added that emerging AI tools have worsened the problem, enabling predators to fabricate explicit images that are nearly indistinguishable from real ones—often targeting women and teenage girls. “There has been an alarming rise in image-based sexual abuse,” he said, pointing to a spike in cases where AI-generated images have been weaponized against minors.
Victim Stories and First Lady’s Advocacy
A key voice behind the bill’s momentum was 14-year-old Texan Elliston Berry, whose story became the emotional cornerstone of the legislation. Berry was targeted when a classmate used her public Instagram photos to generate fake pornographic images, which were then distributed to her entire school.
“It was around 2,400 students that saw these photos,” Berry told a bipartisan panel led by Klobuchar and Cruz last December.
First Lady Melania Trump, who had remained largely out of the public eye since her husband's inauguration, broke her silence with a passionate speech supporting the bill. She also hosted victims of deepfake exploitation at the White House and advocated for swift passage of the legislation, describing it as a personal mission to “protect children and preserve human dignity online.”
Strong Bipartisan Support
After an earlier version failed to clear the Senate during the 118th Congress, Cruz reintroduced the bill, which unanimously passed the Senate in February and then sailed through the House of Representatives with a 409–2 vote.
“I’m proud to have led the charge to get the TAKE IT DOWN Act across the finish line,” Cruz said. “We put a lot of time and effort into garnering support from more than 40 organizations across the political spectrum.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was also present at Monday’s signing ceremony, posting on social media platform X, “This bill will help punish predators & protect kids from exploitation by requiring online platforms to remove explicit images, including AI generated deepfakes, within 48 hours.”
Presidential Support
President Trump praised the law during his recent joint address to Congress, saying, “I look forward to signing it into law.” He credited Melania Trump as “instrumental” in bringing attention to the issue, saying her leadership helped push the bill from a policy discussion into legislative reality.
At the White House signing ceremony, Trump was joined by both lawmakers and victims who had testified during the bill’s development. He emphasized that the legislation represents a commonsense solution to an urgent and growing digital threat.
“Today, we send a clear message: If you use technology to hurt someone, especially our children, we will hold you accountable,” Trump said.
