On May 19, 2025, President Trump signed the much anticipated TAKE IT DOWN Act into law to stop non-consensual intimate images online. Sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), this bill not only requires platforms to remove abuse content within 48 hours of a valid request, but it also holds perpetrators criminally liable and tackles the rise of problematic deepfake technology. It critically provides an avenue to hold Big Tech accountable, so that they can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening on their platforms. It also combats the rise of new technology in the fight against online abuse and brings anti-exploitation legislation up to date with modern technological advances. In particular, it will have an overwhelming effect in the fight to protect children who are becoming more and more present online and are affected by online exploitation at increasingly younger ages.
Ascend was honored to have so many incredible partners in attendance for this momentous occasion, as we have been advocating for this groundbreaking bipartisan law that makes it a federal crime to distribute or threaten to distribute non-consensual sexually explicit images, including deepfake pornography. This legislation has been a long time coming, and it will serve to protect many in the future from the harms of digital exploitation.