(WASHINGTON, DC) – The United States House has passed legislation that would impose harsher penalties on people who post intimate visual depictions of others without consent, or with the intent to harm the victim.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act is intended to push back against the online exploitation of people on the internet and elsewhere.
It’s a bill that is cosponsored by North Dakota Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, and also endorsed at even higher levels by First Lady Melania Trump.
Violators would be subject to prison time and fines under the new law.
Fedorchak says the rise of technology has ‘made it easier than ever for private images to be misused and weaponized.’
The bill criminalizes the publication, or threatened publication, of the material in interstate commerce and requires internet platforms to create a clear notice and takedown process within one year of enactment.It now heads to President Trump for signature.
