President and First Lady Stand with Us on "DeepFake" Bipartisan Bill!
 

Protecting children and families online is a unifying issue that has wide bipartisan support. On Monday, First Lady Melania Trump joined a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill in support of the "TAKE IT DOWN" Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to protect victims of deepfake and revenge pornography (the non-consensual sharing of someone else's sexual images.). The legislation would criminalize the publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images—including AI-generated deepfakes—and require platforms to remove images within 48 hours of notice.

The First Lady continued to shine a light on this issue by attending her husband's first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night accompanied by Elliston Berry of Aledo, Texas, who was exploited as a result of deepfake abuse at the age of 14. President Trump recognized the bill during his address, noting "...once it passes the House, I look forward to signing that bill into law" and suggested he may also have to rely on TAKE IT DOWN in order to protect himself from deepfakes.

“It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deepfakes," said Trump. "This toxic environment can be severely damaging. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.”

--First Lady Melania Trump, Capitol Hill Online Abuse Roundtable

March 3, 2025, Washington, D.C.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), has passed the Senate, with companion legislation introduced in the House by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA). The bill has broad support from over 100 organizations, including Enough Is Enough^®, as well as victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and tech industry leaders.

"Fear, shock and disgust were just some of the many emotions I felt," Berry said. "I felt responsible and began to blame myself and was ashamed to tell my parents, despite doing nothing wrong."

--Elliston Berry, "Deepfake" Victim, Capitol Hill Online Abuse Roundtable

March 3, 2025, Washington, D.C.

Children and teens are not immune from the dangers of "deepfakes" —deceptive videos, images, or audio recordings generated by artificial intelligence. For years, news reports have highlighted cases of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures falling victim to these highly realistic images that are almost indistinguishable from real content. However, the growing accessibility of AI tools has made it easier than ever for minors to be targeted, raising serious concerns about their digital safety and privacy.

Teens and youth are particularly at high risk to "deepfakes" given the vast amount of images and videos they share online. Internet predators and cyberbullies can use these materials to create non-consensual deepfake content. 

In December, two Pennsylvania students were charged with 59 counts of sexual abuse of children, among other crimes, for creating and distributing deepfake images of their female classmates. Police say in total, 60 female victims were identified.

Thank you, First Lady and President Trump, for highlighting critical issues like deepfakes to prevent the online exploitation of children. We're grateful this has been a priority from the start of the Administration, aligning with EIE's Children's Internet Safety Presidential Pledge—backed by over 60 organizations and survivor leaders—urging the aggressive enforcement, funding, and expansion of laws against CSAM, trafficking, sextortion, and AI-generated abuse. We also appreciate the TAKE IT DOWN bill sponsors for your commitment to a safer internet for children and families! 

#TAKEITDOWN