President Donald Trump signed the landmark ‘Take It Down Act’ into law on Monday during a formal ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, who symbolically co-signed the legislation she helped champion.
The new federal law makes it a criminal offense to share explicit or intimate images of an individual without their consent—whether the image is real or digitally created using artificial intelligence. Offenders could face up to three years in prison under the statute.
“With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” said President Trump during the signing. “Today, we’re making it illegal.”
The Act arrives amid growing concerns over the spread of deepfake content and the misuse of AI in online harassment. Melania Trump praised the legislation as a significant milestone in protecting families and children from digital exploitation. “This is a national victory,” said the First Lady. “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.”
The law also places responsibilities on tech platforms. Websites and social media companies are now legally required to remove such content—and all its duplicates—within 48 hours upon a victim’s request.
The bipartisan bill was initially introduced in 2024 by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). It passed overwhelmingly in Congress with a 409–2 vote, signaling rare unity on the issue of online safety and digital rights.
A key provision of the law clarifies that even if someone consents to the creation of an image, that does not equate to consent for it to be shared or published online.
The ‘Take It Down Act’ is being widely hailed as one of the most significant steps yet in addressing digital privacy and combating non-consensual pornography in the age of AI.