TAKE IT DOWN Act
TAKE IT DOWN Act
Plain Language Summary
# TAKE IT DOWN Act Summary **What the Bill Does:** The TAKE IT DOWN Act would make it illegal to post intimate images or videos of people online without their permission. This covers both real photos/videos and deepfakes (computer-generated fake images). The bill requires social media platforms and websites to quickly remove such content when notified it exists. People who violate the law could face criminal penalties and be required to pay restitution (money) to victims. **Who It Affects:** The bill protects adults whose intimate images are shared without consent, as well as minors in any sexual or exploitative images.
It applies to anyone posting such content and to online platforms that host it. The bill specifically addresses the growing problem of deepfake technology being used to create fake intimate images of real people. **Current Status:** The bill (HR 633) was introduced by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't yet been debated or voted on by the full House of Representatives. The bill addresses concerns about non-consensual intimate imagery and image-based abuse, which are increasingly common problems as technology makes it easier to create and distribute such content online.
CRS Official Summary
Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes On Websites and Networks Act or the TAKE IT DOWN ActThis bill generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence. Specifically, the bill prohibits the online publication of intimate visual depictions ofan adult subject where publication is intended to cause or does cause harm to the subject, and where the depiction was published without the subject’s consent or, in the case of an authentic depiction, was created or obtained under circumstances where the adult had a reasonable expectation of privacy; ora minor subject where publication is intended to abuse or harass the minor or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. Violators are subject to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties, including prison, a fine, or both. Threats to publish intimate visual depictions of a subject are similarly prohibited under the bill and subject to criminal penalties. Separately, covered platforms must establish a process through which subjects of intimate visual depictions may notify the platform of the existence of, and request removal of, an intimate visual depiction including the subject that was published without the subject’s consent. Covered platforms must remove such depictions within 48 hours of notification. Under the bill, covered platforms are defined as public websites, online services, or applications that primarily provide a forum for user-generated content.
Latest Action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 59.