NEWS STORY

Sen. Cruz, Victim Advocates to Hold Press Conference Urging House to Quickly Pass TAKE IT DOWN Act

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, December 11th, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will host a press conference celebrating unanimous Senate passage of his bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act, which now moves to the House for consideration. Sen. Cruz will be joined by the TAKE IT DOWN Act’s lead House sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), as well as victims and advocates for legislation to protect against online sexual exploitation.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act, which Sen. Cruz introduced with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), would criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII (commonly referred to as “deepfake revenge pornography”), and require social media and similar websites to have in place procedures to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim.

Reps. Salazar and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) have introduced companion legislation in the House. The TAKE IT DOWN Act has received widespread support from nearly 90 organizations, including victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and tech industry leaders.

Last week, administrators at Pinecrest Cove Academy in Westchester suspended two male students for allegedly using an AI app to superimpose the faces of male and female students to create fake nude images.

The students face charges of the promotion of altered sexual depictions without consent, according to Miami-Dade Police. The accused students were not identified.

The incident happened off-campus during the Thanksgiving recess.

“This behavior is unacceptable. We prioritize the privacy and well-being of all students, and we will not tolerate such actions," school officials said in a letter to parents about the incident. "Upon learning of this situation, we reported it to law enforcement who are now conducting an in-depth investigation.  The individuals responsible will be facing disciplinary action."