The Heritage Foundation has expressed approval for President Donald J. Trump’s decision to sign the Take It Down Act into law. This legislation aims to criminalize the malicious publication of real or deepfake intimate images without consent. The law also mandates that social media platforms remove such content within 48 hours of posting.
First Lady Melania Trump played a significant role in advocating for this bill, having visited Capitol Hill earlier in the year to support its passage.
Annie Chestnut Tutor, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Technology and the Human Person, described the act as “a landmark victory for victims—especially children—who have been targeted through real and AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery online.” She emphasized that the law provides accountability by punishing those who publish or threaten to publish these images and requiring platforms to take them down. Tutor acknowledged key figures in this legislative effort, stating, “I am grateful to President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar for leading this important fight.”
Paul Larkin, a senior legal research fellow at the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, commented on the impact of revenge porn. He noted that it is “a despicable practice” with no legitimate justification under the Free Speech Clause. Larkin highlighted the enduring nature of information on the internet and praised the First Lady’s efforts in addressing this issue.
