Chicago – May 19, 2025
President Donald Trump recently praised the cooperation that led to the passage of the “Take It Down Act,” a new law aimed at stopping internet abuse involving nonconsensual explicit imagery. He called the bipartisan support for the bill one of the greatest moments of cooperation he has seen. The president signed the bill into law in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden on Monday, with First Lady Melania Trump by his side. She has been a strong advocate for the issue since her husband’s presidency began.
The law, which was introduced by Senators Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, makes it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish intimate images without the person’s consent, including fake images created by artificial intelligence (AI). The bill passed the Senate unanimously in February and the House of Representatives in April with a vote of 409–2.
Under the new law, anyone who shares nonconsensual intimate images, whether real or AI-generated, could face up to three years in prison if the victim is a minor. Those who share such images involving adults could be sentenced to up to two years in prison. People who threaten to share these images could also face prison time, with penalties of up to two and a half years for minors and one and a half years for adults.
The signing of the Take It Down Act marks an important step in addressing the growing issue of online abuse and protecting individuals from the harmful effects of nonconsensual intimate images.
