House Passes Problem Solvers Caucus-Endorsed TAKE IT DOWN Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, bipartisan legislation to protect victims of real and deepfake revenge pornography. The bill unanimously passed in the Senate in February and will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the bill earlier this year. 

The TAKE IT DOWN Act federally criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including deepfake content, and requires social media and other platforms to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim. Unlike the existing civil remedy, which places significant burdens on victims, this bill empowers victims and holds online platforms accountable. The legislation is also narrowly tailored to criminalize knowingly publishing NCII while protecting lawful speech.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Representatives María Salazar (FL-27), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), August Pfluger (TX-11), and Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL) and has 36 additional cosponsors, including 14 Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Representatives Salazar and Dingell (MI-06) brought the bill forward for Caucus endorsement. 

First Lady Melania Trump has been a strong advocate for the TAKE IT DOWN Act, hosting a Capitol Hill roundtable last month and calling for its swift passage in the House. The legislation has been endorsed by more than 120 companies and organizations, including Meta, Google, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE).

"My TAKE IT DOWN Act will finally give innocent victims real protection from online exploitation. Websites and platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok must remove fake, compromising pornographic images within 48 hours or face consequences. No more inaction. No more excuses: if you exploit an innocent child, you will face jail time," said Congresswoman María Salazar (FL-27).

“The increasing use of artificial intelligence to create and circulate deep fake pornography threatens the wellbeing and security of its victims, primarily women. Perpetrators have used deep fake pornography as a tool to harass, humiliate, and intimidate women and children online, and we need to work together to protect against these threats. This is a serious and growing issue that requires urgent action, which is why I introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act. I am thankful it has been passed by the House, and I look forward to it promptly being signed into law,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06).

"In an age where personal privacy can be violated with a click, the House’s passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act marks a critical step forward. This bipartisan legislation creates long-overdue federal safeguards against non-consensual intimate imagery and the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes. It establishes a clear legal standard: victims have the right to have these exploitative images removed, and perpetrators will be held accountable. This is a commonsense, essential measure to protect Americans, empower survivors, uphold justice, and bring our laws in line with the realities of the digital era," said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).

“The publication of sexually exploitative images—including AI-generated deepfakes - is a terrifying and destructive part of the digital age,”  said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-03).  “I applaud the First Lady for bringing attention to this issue, and the Problem Solvers Caucus will work with her across party lines to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act to address these reprehensible acts. Let it be the first of many actions we take in this Congress to get things done.”

The full text of the bill can be found here. 

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The Problem Solvers Caucus is a group of Members of Congress — evenly split between Republicans and Democrats — committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation.