Kerby Anderson

Revenge porn and the publishing of deep fake abuse are a growing problem on social media. That is why US senators from both parties have sponsored a bill known as the Take It Down Act. It would criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate image abuse and require social media platforms to remove such items immediately.

On my radio program, we have been encouraging listeners to contact their two senators about the legislation. Recently, I had the bill’s author, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), on my program to explain why such legislation was necessary. “In recent years, we’ve witnessed a stunning increase in exploitative sexual material online, largely due to bad actors taking advantage of newer technologies like generative artificial intelligence. Many women and girls are forever harmed by these crimes, having to live with being victimized again and again.”

Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) further explained, “As artificial intelligence continues to grow and become more prevalent in daily life, we must prevent it from being used to produce non-consensual intimate images.”

Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) acknowledges the benefits and dangers of AI: “Artificial intelligence is the future and provides an infinite number of possibilities of how this new technology can be used to improve lives around not only in this country, but across the entire globe. With any new industry comes the need to ensure it is not being used by bad actors, and AI is no different.”

We need this bipartisan legislation to deal with this growing problem on social media.