House Passes the Take It Down Act, Targeting Nonconsensual Deepfake Abuse

In a decisive bipartisan vote on Monday, the House of Representatives passed the Take It Down Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that would make it a federal crime to publish or distribute nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes. The bill, which cleared the House by a 409–2 margin, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval.

The proposed law specifically targets the use of artificial intelligence to generate realistic pornographic images or videos of identifiable individuals without their consent. With deepfake technology becoming increasingly accessible and harder to detect, the bill represents Congress’s most serious legislative step to date in combating digital sexual abuse.

A Rare Moment of Unity

The overwhelming support for the bill highlights the growing concern in Washington over the harms posed by unregulated AI-driven content. Only two representatives—Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Eric Burlison of Missouri—voted against the measure, with 22 lawmakers not casting votes. In an era of deep political divides, the passage of the Take It Down Act marks a rare point of agreement across party lines.

President Trump previously signaled strong support for the bill. During a joint session of Congress in March, he expressed his intent to sign the measure once it reached his desk. “The Senate just passed the Take It Down Act. Once it passes the House, I look forward to signing that bill into law,” Trump said. “And I’m going to use that bill for myself too, if you don’t mind, because nobody gets treated worse than I do online—nobody.”

A Personal and Political Priority

First Lady Melania Trump, who has made digital safety one of her key initiatives, also publicly backed the measure. She participated in a roundtable discussion on the bill last month and applauded its passage Monday evening. “Today’s bipartisan passage of the Take It Down Act is a powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children,” she said.

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), with the House version led by Rep. Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Madeline Dean (D-PA). The bill’s sponsors hailed the legislation as a major step forward in addressing a new and harmful form of digital abuse.

“This is a historic win in the fight to protect victims of revenge porn and deepfake abuse,” Sen. Cruz said in a statement. “By requiring social media platforms to act quickly to remove this abusive content, we are protecting victims from prolonged trauma and holding abusers accountable.”

Support and Concern

The legislation is seen by many advocates as a long-overdue response to years of lobbying by families and online safety groups. It marks the first major online safety bill passed this congressional session and may serve as a blueprint for future legislation addressing AI and youth safety on digital platforms.

Brad Carson, president of Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), welcomed the development. “For the first time in years, Congress is passing legislation to protect vulnerable communities online and requiring tech giants to clean up their act,” Carson said. “This bill is going to make a difference in the lives of victims and help prevent another generation from being targeted with these kinds of deepfakes.”

However, not everyone is convinced the bill strikes the right balance between protection and freedom of expression. Rep. Massie, one of the two dissenting votes, expressed concerns about potential overreach. “I’m voting NO because I feel this is a slippery slope, ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences,” he wrote on the X platform.

Civil liberties organizations have echoed these concerns. Becca Branum, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Free Expression Project, criticized the bill’s potential impact on online speech. “The best of intentions can’t make up for the bill’s dangerous implications for constitutional speech and privacy online,” Branum said. “The Take It Down Act is a missed opportunity for Congress to meaningfully help victims without compromising fundamental rights.”

The Bigger Picture: Regulation in the Age of AI

The bill’s passage comes amid broader efforts to regulate how children and vulnerable users interact with technology. Advocates are also pushing for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would establish clearer rules for how tech companies design and present content to minors. While KOSA passed the Senate with wide support last session, it failed to clear the House due to concerns over its potential to limit free speech.

Some observers have speculated that Trump’s alliances with anti-censorship and free speech advocates could influence his stance on future tech legislation. However, Sen. Cruz dismissed those concerns, saying that the Trump administration has consistently shown interest in balancing free expression with digital accountability.

Moving Forward

With the Take It Down Act now on the president’s desk, many see it as a pivotal moment in tech legislation—both for what it addresses and what it signals. As AI-generated media continues to evolve, lawmakers are being forced to grapple with entirely new forms of harm that challenge existing legal frameworks.

The bill’s impact will depend not only on how it’s enforced but also on how it inspires future legislation aimed at safeguarding digital privacy, especially for minors and vulnerable communities. Whether it becomes a cornerstone of online safety law or a lightning rod for constitutional challenges, its passage marks a significant turn in the conversation about tech accountability in the AI age.