Tue May 20 05:52:33 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

President Trump signed the Take It Down Act, making it a federal crime to publish intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, without consent. Social media platforms are now required to remove such images within 48 hours upon victim request. The law aims to combat harassment, particularly against women targeted with deepfakes. While praised for addressing online abuse, the legislation has drawn criticism from digital rights groups concerned about potential censorship and impacts on free expression due to the rapid takedown requirement.

**News Article:**

**Trump Signs “Take It Down Act,” Criminalizing Revenge Porn and Deepfakes**

**Washington, D.C.** – President Donald Trump signed the “Take It Down Act” into law on Monday, effectively criminalizing the non-consensual publication of intimate images, including those generated using artificial intelligence, commonly known as deepfakes. The new law mandates that social media platforms remove such images within 48 hours of a victim’s request.

The legislation, which garnered near-unanimous support in Congress, extends protection to individuals targeted by realistic-looking AI-generated content. “With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” President Trump stated during the signing ceremony. “It’s a very abusive situation… And today we’re making it totally illegal.”

First Lady Melania Trump, who championed the bill’s passage, hailed the law as “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.”

However, the law has also drawn criticism from digital rights organizations. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) expressed concerns that the rapid takedown requirements could lead to censorship of legitimate content, including satire, journalism, and political speech. The EFF argues that the 48-hour window will force platforms to rely on automated filters, which are known to mistakenly flag lawful content. The group further warned that the legislation’s framework poses risks to user privacy and due process.

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