US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new law that makes it illegal to share explicit images of people without their permission, including fake images made using AI.The legislation is called the “Take It Down Act,” and aims to protect victims of revenge porn and stop the spread of non-consensual sexual images online.The bill had strong bipartisan support and was backed publicly by first lady Melania Trump. The measure passed the Senate in February and the House then March, before reaching the president’s desk.“This will be the first-ever federal law to combat the distribution of explicit, imagery posted without subjects’ consent,” Trump said during a signing ceremony at the White House. “We will not tolerate online sexual exploitation,” he added.After signing the bill, Trump handed it to Melania to add her signature as well.The law requires social media companies and websites to remove explicit photos and videos, including those manipulated by artificial intelligence, within 48 hours of a victim’s request. Those who knowingly share such images without permission can face prison time.Melania Trump called the law a “national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.” Speaking at the bill’s introduction in March, she pointed out the dangers faced by youth: “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deep fakes. This toxic environment can be severely damaging.”She also warned about the impact of new technologies, saying, “Artificial intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation — sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children.” She added that these technologies “can be weaponised, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly.”The Take It Down Act represents one of the first federal laws directly addressing harms caused by AI-generated content. While laws protecting children from AI-manipulated images existed before, there was no nationwide protection for adults until now.The law also holds tech companies accountable for removing harmful content. Major platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat have expressed support for the bill.Despite this, some digital rights groups have raised concerns that the law could lead to the removal of legal content and lacks safeguards against bad-faith takedown requests.The bill’s passage followed numerous high-profile cases where celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as ordinary teenage girls, were victims of AI-created explicit images. The law signals a stronger societal stand against intimate image abuse. The Take It Down Act was first introduced last year by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar and passed nearly unanimously.
