The bill, which the House passed in overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the House of 409-2, and via unanimous voice vote in the upper chamber, was introduced by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat.
The law requires online platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images, including those created or altered using artificial intelligence, within 48 hours of receiving a valid request from a potential victim. It also criminalizes distribution of such sensitive material with penalties of up to seven years in prison and allows the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce compliance.
It also allows victims to sue and mandates that all platforms submit annual reports to the FTC. The legislation applies to imagery depicting persons 18 and older, which supplements existing legislation protecting minors.
President Donald Trump, alongside First Lady Melania Trump, who championed the legislation as part of her “Be Best” campaign, signed the legislation into law in a Rose Garden ceremony Monday.
