Trump's 'Take It Down Act' criminalises non-consensual imagery and deepfakes

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump enacted the 'Take it Down Act' on Monday (May 19), a law that criminalizes the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-produced deepfakes. The signing of the law, held at the White House's Rose Garden, was attended by First Lady Melania Trump, who voiced that the bill would aid families in combating online exploitation.

The legislation, which saw bipartisan support in Congress, was passed by the House of Representatives in April. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz authored the act, with Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar serving as co-lead.

Deepfakes are manipulated videos or audios created using artificial intelligence, designed to appear real and often challenging to discern without the use of specialized tools.