Melania Trump Lobbies for Bill to Ban Revenge Porn and AI Deepfakes
By Movieguide® Contributor
Melania Trump made her first solo appearance of her husband Donald Trump’s second presidential term to lobby for a bill that would ban non-consensual exploitative images.
“In today’s AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarmingly high,” Melania said. “As organizations harness the power of our data, the risk of unauthorized access and misuse of personal information escalates. We must prioritize robust security measures and uphold strict ethical standards to protect individual privacy.”
The bill, called the Take it Down Act, makes it illegal to publish such images and social media platforms would be required to remove the images within 48 hours.
Melania noted regret that there were only two Democrat politicians at the event, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Ro Khanna.
“I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter,” she said. “I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely, as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
The legislation was included in the end-of-year spending bill last year. It would have become law if Trump and Elon Musk had not objected to it overall. The Senate presented a new version of the bill this month.
READ MORE: POP STAR WARNS AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY: IT’S ‘DANGEROUS’
“This legislation is essential for addressing the growing concerns related to online safety, protecting individual rights, and promoting a healthier digital environment,” the First Lady said.
Melania joined her husband Tuesday to watch his address to a joint session of Congress. She invited Elliston Berry, a Texas high school student who was a victim of deepfake revenge porn, to watch the address with her from her viewing box.
Last year, several bills relating to children’s online safety were passed at the Senate. The Kids Online Safety Act had overwhelming bipartisan support (91-3), but it got caught in Congress.
The bill would require online platforms to enable the strongest privacy settings for kids by default; allow more controls for parents, including a dedicated channel for parents and educators to report destructive behavior; hold platforms responsible for preventing dangers such as suicide, eating disorders, sexual exploitation, and more; and require audits and research into how the platforms effect adolescents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson chose to prioritize concerns about free speech over the concerns listed in the bill, effectively tabling it.
“I think all of us, 100 percent of us, support the principle behind it, but you’ve got to get this one right,” he said. “When you’re dealing with the regulation of free speech you can’t go too far and have it be overbroad, but you want to achieve those objectives. So, it’s essential that we get this issue right.”
READ MORE: META SUPPORTS THIS STATE’S PROPOSED SOCIAL MEDIA AGE-VERIFICATION BILL
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