Hoosier State Today

On June 18, 2024, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks (TAKE IT DOWN) Act. The bill aims to protect victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse, commonly known as "revenge pornography." It seeks to criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII or "deepfake pornography," and mandates that social media and similar websites have procedures in place to remove such content upon notification from a victim.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

Senator Young emphasized the importance of addressing the rise in exploitative images created using generative AI: "We are increasingly seeing instances where generative AI is used to create exploitative images of an individual based on a clothed image. This bipartisan bill builds on existing federal law to protect Americans, particularly young women, from harmful deepfakes."

Senator Cruz highlighted the need for uniform federal legislation: "In recent years, we’ve witnessed a stunning increase in exploitative sexual material online... While some states provide legal remedies for victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, states would be further supported by a uniform federal statute."

Senator Capito called for accountability from social media platforms: "Social media platforms and those that distribute revenge porn need to be held accountable. Our bill will make sure that even computer-generated deep fakes will not be allowed to stay online."

Senator Rosen noted the necessity of preventive measures as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent: "As artificial intelligence continues to grow... we must prevent it from being used to produce non-consensual intimate images."

The TAKE IT DOWN Act has garnered support from over three dozen organizations across the political spectrum, including National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, TechNet, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, SAG-AFTRA, Public Citizen, IBM, American Psychological Association, among others.

Full legislative text and additional information about the TAKE IT DOWN Act can be found through provided resources.

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