Support the Take it Down Act

ACTION NEEDED:

Urge your Members of Congress to reintroduce and pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act, re-introduced as S.146 by Sens. Ted Cruz (R- Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) in the 119th Congress, which would criminalize the non-consensual production and distribution of digitally created intimate images of individuals. Counties support the legislation as it aims to establish guardrails to protect victims while navigating novel technology. 

BACKGROUND:

The current regulatory and legislative framework surrounding AI and generative AI presents opportunities for passing meaningful laws that will promote intergovernmental collaboration in a manner that will seek to protect human rights, monitor for the safe and responsible application of AI, and safeguard against nefarious uses of technology. The production and distribution of digitally created intimate images, or “deepfake” images, is a clear example of how these technologies can be used nefariously. 

Previously introduced in the 118th Congress, the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks (the TAKE IT DOWN Act) passed in the Senate in December 2024 but failed to gain consideration in the House. Although nearly every state has legislation against non-consensual image imagery (NCII), The TAKE IT DOWN Act is unique in criminalizing the publication of NCII, protecting good faith efforts to assist victims, and requiring websites to take down NCII. 

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• Counties stand against clear, nefarious use of technology like the non-consensual production and distribution of digitally created intimate images of individuals.  
• The time is now to take a stand for appropriate guardrails to protect victims of non-consensual intimate images by fostering a safe environment on the internet as general artificial intelligence continues to proliferate.