Sponsors (22)
The bill strengthens protections and fast-removal remedies for victims of nonconsensual and AI-manipulated intimate images, but it also creates new criminal and compliance risks for platforms and users that could chill lawful speech, raise privacy concerns for victims, and impose burdens on smaller services.
Victims (women, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, minors) can get rapid removal of nonconsensual intimate images and identical copies (48-hour takedowns), with a required plain-language notice process and FTC enforcement plus a limited safe-harbor for good-faith removals.
People whose intimate images are shared without consent (including AI-manipulated 'deepfakes') gain a federal criminal remedy and heightened penalties and protections for minors.
Key terms are clarified and core internet providers (email, broadband ISPs) are excluded, creating consistent definitions across the Act and reducing accidental coverage of essential infrastructure.
Journalists, reporters, and ordinary users risk chilling of lawful speech and reporting because subjective standards (e.g., 'matter of public concern', 'intended to cause harm') and broad takedown/penalty rules could be applied overbroadly.
Platforms and individual users face new criminal exposure and demanding compliance rules (48-hour takedowns, broad 'covered platform' scope), likely increasing moderation costs and encouraging overremoval of lawful content.
Criminal penalties (including imprisonment and mandatory forfeiture) could disproportionately harm individual users with limited resources to defend themselves, exacerbating justice inequalities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Criminalizes publishing nonconsensual intimate images or digital forgeries online, requires covered platforms to remove verified content within 48 hours, and gives the FTC enforcement power.
Makes it a federal crime to knowingly publish nonconsensual intimate images or digitally forged images of identifiable people via online services, with stronger protections for minors and criminal penalties. Requires most public-facing websites and apps that host user content to set up a signed notice-and-removal process and to remove verified nonconsensual intimate images and known identical copies within 48 hours, with enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and criminal remedies including fines, imprisonment, forfeiture, and victim restitution.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Rafael Edward Cruz · Last progress May 19, 2025