WASHINGTON, D.C. – In one of his first moves as the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in reintroducing the bipartisan, bicameral TAKE IT DOWN Act. The legislation would criminalize the publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images—including AI-generated deepfakes—and require platforms to remove images within 48 hours of notice.
The bill unanimously passed both the Commerce Committee and the full Senate during the last session of Congress. For the current 119th Congress, U.S. Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) will introduce companion legislation as they did last year. The TAKE IT DOWN Act has received widespread support from over 100 organizations, including victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and tech industry leaders.
Upon the reintroduction of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, Sen. Cruz said:
“There’s too many predators out there who are abusing new technologies like generative artificial intelligence to spread fake and exploitative sexual images online, particularly against young girls and teenagers. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is a common-sense solution that empowers victims of this heinous crime. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, it is one of my top priorities to protect Americans from this devious act and ensure Big Tech does not remain complicit.”
Sen. Klobuchar:
“We must provide victims of online abuse with the legal protections they need when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse,” said Sen. Klobuchar.“This bipartisan legislation builds on my work to ensure that victims can have this material removed from social media platforms and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable.”
