Bilirakis Celebrates Passage of TAKE IT DOWN Act

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) celebrated the TAKE IT DOWN Act's passage in the House of Representatives a second time this week in a statement, saying, "I am glad we are one step closer to protecting victims of online sexual exploitation."

As we explained in December when it was introduced by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), the TAKE IT DOWN Act focuses on nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII), better known as "revenge porn," wherein sexually explicit imagery of a victim is posted online without their knowledge or consent.

The act has become more insidious with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), as now "deepfakes," in which an AI is trained to create a sexually explicit image using a victim's likeness, have permeated across the internet.

As a result, the TAKE IT DOWN Act criminalizes the posting of "revenge porn" and "deepfakes" while requiring platforms to remove the images within 48 hours of receiving notice.

Rep. Bilirakis's press release noted that the newer version of the bill includes several provisions protecting freedom of speech, such as ensuring that consensual image creation does not mean consent to publish, permitting good faith disclosure of NCII, and ensuring that claims of NCII being published are valid.

"I am glad we are one step closer to protecting victims of online sexual exploitation. Giving victims rights to flag nonconsensual images and requiring social media companies to remove that content quickly is a pivotal and necessary change to the online landscape," said Rep. Bilirakis, adding, "And by ensuring that AI-generated deep-fake content is included in these protections, Congress is showing its commitment to fighting 21st Century harms that are plaguing our children and grandchildren.  I applaud Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), August Pfluger (R-TX), and Stacey Plaskett (D-VI)  for their tireless work on this issue, as well as our entire Subcommittee for their efforts to ensure final passage in the House.  I encourage my Senate colleagues to expedite passage so it can be signed into law by President Trump."