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CIVIC HERALD
S 146 · 119th Congress · SenateEnacted

TAKE IT DOWN Act

In plain language: This bill makes it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate images or AI-generated sexual "deepfakes" online, carrying penalties of up to three years in prison, fines, and restitution for victims. Websites and mobile apps hosting user content must create a clear process to receive complaints and take down reported intimate media within 48 hours. The Federal Trade Commission is authorized to penalize online platforms that fail to comply with these takedown rules.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affectedThe text does not quantify the specific number of individuals or covered entities affected.
Fiscal magnitudeno CBO estimate published
Reach72provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Big-tech & platforms+58Sentencing & corrections−35Online speech+60Speech & expression+52AI & emerging tech+45

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Victims of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions and digital forgeriesGains the right to submit takedown notices requiring covered platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate depictions and identical copies within 48 hours, gains federal criminal protections against unauthorized distribution and extortion threats, and receives mandatory court-ordered financial restitution upon offender conviction (Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(2)–(8), Sec. 3(a)).provisional
  • Covered online platforms and websitesProtected from civil liability when acting in good faith to remove or disable access to content reasonably believed to be nonconsensual intimate visual depictions (Sec. 3(a)(4)).provisional

Who it burdens

  • Covered online platforms and websitesMust create and publicly post a plain-language takedown request process within one year, remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid notice, and make reasonable efforts to delete known copies, facing Federal Trade Commission enforcement for noncompliance (Sec. 3(a)(1)–(3), Sec. 3(b)).provisional
  • Individuals who knowingly publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate depictions or digital forgeriesSubject to federal criminal prosecution, fines, up to 3 years imprisonment, mandatory restitution payments to victims, and forfeiture of distributed materials, proceeds, and personal property used in the offense (Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(4), (6)–(8)).provisional
  • Federal Trade CommissionGranted authority to enforce platform notice-and-takedown requirements as unfair or deceptive trade practices, including expanding its jurisdictional enforcement scope to cover nonprofit online entities (Sec. 3(b)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Makes it a federal crime punishable by fines and up to 2 years in prison to knowingly publish nonconsensual intimate images or videos of identifiable adults that cause or are intended to cause harm.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(2)(A)provisional
  2. Makes it a federal crime punishable by fines and up to 3 years in prison to knowingly publish nonconsensual intimate images or videos of identifiable minors with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or sexually arouse.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(2)(B)provisional
  3. Makes it a federal crime punishable by fines and up to 2 years in prison to knowingly publish nonconsensual, computer-generated or altered intimate depictions (digital forgeries) of identifiable adults to cause harm.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(3)(A)provisional
  4. Makes it a federal crime punishable by fines and up to 3 years in prison to knowingly publish nonconsensual, computer-generated or altered intimate depictions (digital forgeries) of identifiable minors with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or sexually arouse.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(3)(B)provisional
  5. Makes it a federal crime punishable by fines and up to 30 months to 3 years in prison to threaten to publish authentic or computer-generated nonconsensual intimate depictions to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause mental distress.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)(h)(6)provisional
  6. Requires covered websites and online platforms within 1 year to establish and visibly post a clear, plain-language process for individuals to submit takedown requests for nonconsensual intimate depictions.

    Sec. 3(a)(1)provisional
  7. Requires covered online platforms to remove reported nonconsensual intimate depictions and make reasonable efforts to delete known identical copies within 48 hours of receiving a valid takedown request.

    Sec. 3(a)(3)provisional
  8. Shields covered online platforms from civil liability for acting in good faith to remove or block access to content reasonably believed to be nonconsensual intimate depictions.

    Sec. 3(a)(4)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. May 19, 2025Became Public Law No: 119-12.
  2. May 19, 2025Became Public Law No: 119-12.
  3. May 19, 2025Signed by President.
  4. May 19, 2025Signed by President.
  5. May 19, 2025Presented to President.
  6. May 19, 2025Presented to President.
  7. Apr 28, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. Apr 28, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 2 (Roll no. 104). (text: CR H1644-1645)
  9. Apr 28, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 2 (Roll no. 104). (text: CR H1644-1645: 1)
  10. Feb 13, 2025Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S988; text: CR S988-990)
  11. Feb 13, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  12. Jan 16, 2025Introduced in Senate

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 17 days ago

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