Melania Trump-Backed TAKE IT DOWN Act Targets Revenge Porn and AI Deepfakes After Overwhelming House Vote

The House has just made a major move to crack down on revenge porn and AI-generated deepfakes, passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act with an overwhelming 409-2 vote. The bill, which has been strongly championed by First Lady Melania Trump, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

The legislation specifically targets the nonconsensual online posting of intimate images, whether they're real or AI-generated. It requires social media platforms to remove any such images within 48 hours of being notified. If you’re thinking this is a much-needed update for the digital age, you’re not alone—the near-unanimous vote speaks volumes.

Violators will face mandatory restitution, criminal penalties, and possibly even prison time, according to the bill’s summary. And just to be clear, even threatening to post these kinds of images will land you in hot water under the new law.

Senator Ted Cruz first introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act back in January, and Rep. Maria Salazar brought it to the House. The bill has found bipartisan support, with leaders across the aisle—like Melania Trump, Cruz, Salazar, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Rep. Madeleine Dean—all locking arms on this one. Only two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison, voted against the bill, citing concerns about government overreach and unintended consequences. It’s a classic Capitol Hill plot twist: the only thing rarer than bipartisanship is a bill about internet nudes that gets almost everyone on board.

Melania Trump, whose BE BEST campaign has long focused on protecting children online, celebrated the passage, calling it a “vital step in nurturing our leaders of tomorrow.” Cruz credited survivors and advocates for pushing the bill forward, highlighting powerful voices like Elliston Berry, Francesca Mani, Breeze Liu, and Brandon Guffey.

With this legislation, the message is pretty clear: the internet is finally being forced to clean up after itself, at least a little. Revenge porn and AI deepfakes aren’t just creepy—they’re officially federal crimes-in-waiting.