Sens. Cruz and Klobuchar Introduce TAKE IT DOWN Act
On Thursday, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), reintroduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a bipartisan bill that would criminalize the publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images — including AI-generated deepfakes — and require online platforms to have in place notice and takedown processes. Last year, the TAKE IT DOWN Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
“We have to stop the viral spread of sexually explicit deepfakes from harming another generation of victims,” said ARI Senior VP of Government Affairs Doug Calidas. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act holds perpetrators accountable and gives victims a path to stop the spread of this malicious content. It’s a strong bill, there’s public support, and all that’s left now is for Congress to act. They have a fundamental responsibility to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act this year.”
Last month, ARI helped to lead a coalition of over two dozen organizations in a letter urging the House of Representatives to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act and DEFIANCE Act following their passage in the Senate. ARI and AI policy group ENCODE also led a joint petition, gathering over 7,500 petitions in support of the two bills.
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.