House Passes Bill to Combat Revenge Porn and Deepfakes
The house passed a cross-party bill on Monday, making it a federal crime to publish real and fake sexually explicit pictures online of a person without their consent. The bill, known as the "Take It" bill, was supported by First Lady Melania Trump and aims to protect individuals from the harmful effects of revenge porn and deepfakes.
Background and Support
The bill was passed with a vote of 409-2, with the two "no" votes coming from Republicans. The Senate had previously adopted the measure in February. First Lady Melania Trump, who rarely appears in public, took part in a discussion in the US Capitol to support the adoption of the law in the house. She expressed her concern for young teenagers, especially girls, who are often the victims of malicious online content such as deepfakes.
Provisions of the Bill
The bill requires social media companies and other websites to remove images and videos within 48 hours of a victim’s request. This includes deepfakes created by artificial intelligence. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, who presented the bill, remembered the experience of a teenager whose classmate used an app to create explicit pictures of her and then sent them to her classmates.
Impact and Importance
The bill aims to stop cyber abuse and prevent bullying and suicide. According to the FBI, there has been an alarming number of cases in which victims have been blackmailed with suicide in recent years. Legislators hope that the bill will save lives by making it easier for victims to report and remove harmful content. Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar from Florida said that the mission of the law is simple, profound, and durable, and that it stops cyber abuse and prevents bullying and suicide.
Response from Tech Companies and Critics
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok and Snapchat, have expressed support for the legislation. However, digital rights groups have warned that the bill could lead to the suppression of lawful speech, including legitimate pornography, and contains no protection against poor enforcement from bad actors.
