HARD COPY: Have you heard of it? It’s a bill with a ton of bipartisan support that is about to be signed by the president. The bill responds to the new-age phenomenon of “revenge porn” and other similar instances of sexual abuse in which non-consensual intimate imagery is circulated. In addition to stricter penalties, the bill also requires social media companies to take down offending material within 48 hours of notification from a victim, which may prove difficult given that some companies have poor success rates completing arguably simpler tasks like fact-checking. The bill also specifies the illegality of threats to distribute sexual imagery with the intent to cause harm to someone, regardless of any follow-through. Melania Trump, who is no stranger to nonconsensual sexualization and harassment within the public eye, supports the bill. Not everyone does, however. Opponents cite the potential for infringement on free speech and digital rights, especially for queer communities. The bill also targets nonconsensual AI-generated content – the kind that haunted Taylor Swift last year. Could this bill pave the way for criminalization of fake content beyond just pornographic and sexual imagery? If so, the president will be one among many who will need to curb their behaviour. Speaking of Taylor Swift….
The “Take It Down Act” passes through Congress
