Lawmakers, First Lady and victims push for House passage of Take It Down Act to curb nonconsensual intimate images

An unnamed House member urged the House to take up and pass the Take It Down Act, saying the Senate unanimously approved the bill three weeks earlier and that the measure should be sent to the president’s desk to protect victims of nonconsensual intimate-image distribution.

The speaker made the remarks at an event joined by First Lady Melania Trump and by people the speaker identified as victims and victim advocates: Lisonbee Berry, Francesca Mani, Brandon Guffey and Bridal Liu. The speaker also thanked Stefan Turkheimer with RAIN and said Sen. Klobuchar and Reps. Salazar and Dean were the bill’s lead sponsors in Congress.

Under the bill described by the speaker, publishing nonconsensual intimate images would be a felony and would cover “fake, lifelike pornographic images of real people,” including those generated with artificial intelligence, the speaker said. The speaker added that the bill would require major technology platforms to maintain a notice-and-takedown process so victims “not just the rich and famous, but everyone” could seek removal of such material.

The speaker said the issue disproportionately affects teenagers, describing a surge in AI-generated explicit images of high-school students that are often circulated by classmates, and said the psychological harms to victims can be severe. The speaker also said predators have used nonconsensual images to extort victims financially and emotionally and that some families had lost children to suicide after sextortion.

The remarks framed the bill as bipartisan and broadly supported by survivors and advocates. The speaker thanked Sen. Klobuchar and Reps. Salazar and Dean for their work on the legislation and thanked the First Lady for her child-protection advocacy, noting her Be Best initiative. “Your success will mean our children’s success and healing for thousands of victims,” the speaker said to Mrs. Trump.

No House vote or formal House action was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The speaker said passage in the House was expected but did not provide a timetable. The transcript indicates the Senate approved the bill unanimously; the House’s next steps were described only as the House taking up and passing the bill so it could be sent to the president for signature.

Votes at a glance: none recorded in the transcript excerpt.