The Take It Down Act was passed on Monday, April 19th, 2025. The bipartisan act received unanimous support from both chambers of Congress and was passed into law by the President.
This bill bans the nonconsensual online publication of sexually explicit images and videos. Both real and AI-generated images/videos will have serious consequences if shared and posted online. Those who commit this crime will be penalized with mandatory restitution and criminal penalties (prison, fines, or both).
Enforcement of this bill will be carried out by the Federal Trade Commission, which will require websites to take down images within 48 hours of the time they are receive a request from a victim. The websites will also need to make efforts to take down any copies as well.
While many states have laws banning this type of content already, they vary in terms of classification of crimes and subsequent penalties. This is a huge step in protecting youth from online exploitation.