With overwhelming bipartisan support, Congress has passed the Take It Down Act, delivering a sweeping legal response to revenge porn and deepfake abuse—now awaiting President Trump’s signature.
At a Glance
- House passes Take It Down Act by 409-2 vote after Senate approval
- Bill requires platforms to remove harmful content within 48 hours
- Melania Trump advocated legislation through her “Be Best” campaign
- Victims, advocates, and 120+ groups back the Bill
- Civil liberties groups raise free speech, privacy concerns
Congress Acts on Revenge Porn, Deepfakes
In a rare show of overwhelming bipartisan unity, the U.S. House passed the Take It Down Act by a vote of 409–2, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk following earlier Senate approval. The legislation, designed to combat the spread of nonconsensual sexual imagery—including AI-generated deepfakes—requires platforms to remove reported material within 48 hours.
The bill’s passage was championed by a coalition of lawmakers and activists, including Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar. According to ABC 33/40, Cruz praised the act as “a historic win in the fight to protect victims,” while Klobuchar emphasized the growing threat of synthetic media abuse and the urgent need for legal safeguards.
Watch Newsweek’s coverage of Melania Trump’s advocacy after the House passed the Take It Down Act at this report.
Melania Trump’s Advocacy Plays Central Role
First Lady Melania Trump played a pivotal role in promoting the bill through her “Be Best” initiative, which focuses on child welfare and online safety. She hosted roundtables with lawmakers, survivors, and advocacy groups, and issued a statement thanking Congress for “building a future where every child can thrive.”
One of the most emotional endorsements came from Elliston Berry, a teenage victim of deepfake abuse, who shared her story in support of the bill. She said, as reported by The Daily Signal, “I knew I could never undo what he did, but I wanted to help prevent this from happening to others.”
More than 120 organizations—including tech firms, police groups, and civil liberties advocates—publicly backed the bill. It is viewed as a landmark legislative effort to establish baseline protections against image-based abuse, particularly for children and teens targeted online.
Support Surges—But Critics Warn of Overreach
While broadly supported, the legislation has drawn sharp criticism from civil liberties groups. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Internet Society have expressed concerns about the bill’s potential to limit encryption, infringe on free speech, and enable abuse of takedown tools.
President Trump added to the controversy with an offhand remark that he might “use the bill for himself” because “nobody gets treated worse online than I do.” While he reiterated support for the law, critics saw the comment as evidence of how powerful tools might be wielded to suppress criticism.
Nonetheless, the core protections have earned widespread praise for balancing platform responsibility with user rights. As Melania Trump said in her statement to the House, “Through this critical legislation and our continued focus with ‘Be Best,’ we are building a future where every child can thrive.”
The bill is expected to be signed into law by the president ahead of “Be Best Day” on May 7, symbolizing a significant step forward in U.S. digital safety standards.
