The House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill against “revenge porn” by a 409-2 vote, in a showing of bipartisan support for legislation backed by first lady Melania Trump. Revenge porn is the malicious distribution of sexual images of a victim.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who argued the bill was “ripe for abuse,” and Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., were the only congressmen to vote against it.
The bill was passed by the Senate unanimously in February. The Take it Down Act would impose legal penalties for creating deepfake artificial intelligence-created pornography using a victim’s image and “require social media and other websites to remove such images within 48 hours of receiving notice from the victim.”
Melania Trump, who has championed opposition to cyberbullying, has publicly promoted the bill, including at a roundtable discussion with members of Congress and victims of revenge porn.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes. This toxic environment can be severely damaging,” the first lady said at the discussion.
“Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themself freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who introduced the bill to the Senate, said, “Everyone has the right to have these disturbing images removed from the internet immediately … I am honored that first lady Melania Trump has lent her strong voice to this cause.”
After the bill’s passage, Melania Trump’