Melania Trump leads push as Congress criminalises revenge porn, AI deepfakes

The US Congress has passed landmark legislation, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, that imposes criminal penalties for the nonconsensual distribution of real and AI-generated intimate images intended to cause harm, particularly in acts of revenge.

The new law broadly prohibits the nonconsensual online posting of intimate visual content, whether authentic or created using artificial intelligence. It also mandates that certain online platforms act swiftly to remove such content upon receiving a report, Caliber.Az reports via the message posted on the website of the Congress.

According to the bill, it is now illegal to publish intimate depictions of an adult without their consent, especially when the material was obtained in circumstances where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Publication intended to harm the subject, or that results in actual harm, is punishable. In the case of minors, the law criminalises the publication of such content if intended to harass, abuse, or sexually exploit the minor.

Violators of the law face mandatory restitution as well as criminal penalties, which may include imprisonment, fines, or both. The legislation also criminalises threats to publish such material. In addition, the law imposes new responsibilities on public-facing online platforms that host user-generated content. These platforms must implement a process allowing individuals to report nonconsensual intimate imagery and request its removal. Upon notification, the platform is required to take down the content within 48 hours.

By Naila Huseynova