Congress Overwhelmingly Approves Revenge Porn Bill, Sends it to President Trump for Signature

Source: YouTube

The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed the revenge porn bill known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a major bipartisan move to crack down on deepfake exploitation. The bill, strongly supported by First Lady Melania Trump, received 409 votes in favor and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval.

The legislation, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and co-sponsored by bipartisan lawmakers, seeks to impose strict penalties on individuals who distribute intimate images without consent. It also forces online platforms to create a system allowing victims to request removal of harmful content within 48 hours.

How the Revenge Porn Bill United Both Parties

Lawmakers from both parties rallied behind the revenge porn bill, citing the growing threat posed by deepfakes and nonconsensual image sharing. The bill criminalizes the publication of intimate visual depictions, including AI-generated images, involving both adults and minors.

First Lady Melania Trump, reviving her “Be Best” campaign theme on child safety and online well-being, championed the legislation as crucial to protecting young people from online harm. “Today’s bipartisan passage of the Take It Down Act is a powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children,” she said.

Supporters also highlighted that the bill addresses an urgent problem for teenagers, especially young girls, who are often targeted by malicious content and nudification apps. Representative María Elvira Salazar, a Florida Republican, called the bill necessary to halt the “outrageously sick” practice of weaponizing intimate images against vulnerable individuals.

The Senate had already passed its version of the revenge porn bill in February. After President Donald Trump signs the measure, platforms will be legally obligated to respond swiftly to removal requests or face significant penalties.

Critics Voice Concerns About Overreach

Although the revenge porn bill enjoys near-universal support, it has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates who warn that it could be misused. Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue that the law’s broad definition of “intimate content” and the 48-hour takedown window might pressure platforms into removing lawful speech.

Critics fear that automated filtering tools, which are prone to errors, will lead to the removal of fair-use material like news reporting, commentary, or parody. They also caution that smaller platforms without large legal teams will likely default to removing any flagged content to avoid risk, creating a chilling effect on online expression.

Becca Branum of the Center for Democracy and Technology warned, “The best of intentions can’t make up for the bill’s dangerous implications for constitutional speech and privacy online.” Still, even critics acknowledge that revenge porn remains a serious problem in need of solutions, even if they believe the bill’s approach needs refinement.

Trump’s Signature Will Change Online Platforms Forever

President Donald Trump is expected to sign the revenge porn bill quickly, with First Lady Melania Trump planning to attend the signing ceremony at the White House. The bill’s passage represents a rare and notable bipartisan victory at a time when few issues unite Congress.

Once signed into law, the act will go into immediate effect, requiring online platforms to adjust their content policies, takedown procedures, and monitoring tools. This development may spark further debates in the future about balancing the fight against exploitation with the need to protect free speech.

While critics continue to express caution, the strong vote margins in both the House and Senate show that lawmakers want immediate action against revenge porn and deepfake abuse.

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