In a powerful moment on Monday, March 3, First Lady Melania Trump made her first public, solo appearance of this Trump Administration and travelled to Capitol Hill to join lawmakers in a roundtable meant to discuss and support the “Take It Down Act.” The act requires social media companies to take down explicit deepfakes, revenge p*rnography, and similar material upon being notified of it by a victim, and is meant largely to protect teen girls from dissemination of that material.
In fact, the bill is a bipartisan one, as it was sponsored not just by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) but also by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the woke Democrat from Minnesota. It aims to protect victims of “non-consensual sharing of sexual images,” including not just real content shared without their consent but also AI-generated images, something growing as a problem, particularly in high schools.
Announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that she was headed to Capitol Hill to advocate for the important bill and help protect teenagers from such horrid material, Melania posted, “BE BEST: On my way to The Hill to advocate for the Take It Down Act bill. I urge Congress to pass this important legislation to safeguard our youth.”
Melania, commenting on the bill, said, “I was heartened to learn that Sen. Cruz and Sen. Klobuchar united to prioritize this fundamental matter.” She then slammed Democrats for not showing up to the roundtable, saying, “I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely, as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
Continuing, she said that she was there to “urge Congress to prioritize the passage” of the Take It Down Act. Building on that, she added, “this legislation is essential for addressing the growing concerns related to online safety, protecting individual rights, and promoting a healthier digital environment.”
Melania also said, during her speech at the roundtable, that she was there to help protect America’s youth from digital abuse online, particularly the increasingly prevalent and problematic explicit deepfake issue. She said, “I’m here with you today with a common goal, to protect our youth from online harm.”
Building on that, she commented on the prevalence of the issue and why reform is needed, saying, “The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities. Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe, and supportive environment for our young people.” Watch her here:
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Senator Cruz, posting about the matter on X, said, “First Lady Melania Trump is using her first public appearance to promote and support my legislation, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This legislation was inspired by Elliston Berry and her mother, who came to my office after Snapchat refused for nearly a year to remove an AI-generated nonconsensual graphic image. Let’s work to get this done.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video