Melania Trump Advocates for Online Safety Bill on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — First Lady Melania Trump will visit Capitol Hill on Monday to participate in a roundtable discussion focusing on the ‘Take It Down Act,’ a legislation aimed at combatting revenge porn. This marks her first solo public appearance since resuming the role of first lady on January 20.

The ‘Take It Down Act,’ introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, passed the Senate in February. The bill seeks to make it a federal crime to publish intimate imagery online without consent and requires that social media platforms remove such content within 48 hours upon victim requests.

In a statement on X, the social media platform, Trump urged Congress to act on this important legislation to protect young people. ‘I urge Congress to pass this important legislation to safeguard our youth,’ she stated, emphasizing the necessity of online safety measures.

Senator Cruz will join the first lady at the Capitol for the discussion, which also includes online safety advocates and survivors of non-consensual intimate imagery. He has previously shared that the bill was inspired by Elliston Berry, who faced challenges in getting the removal of an AI-generated non-consensual image, known as a deepfake, for over a year.

‘No one should have to experience the pain, humiliation, and trauma that so many Americans have at the hands of AI deepfakes,’ Cruz said on social media. Major tech companies, including Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, have expressed support for the legislation.

If enacted, the bill would address both real and AI-generated intimate images, providing a legal basis for victims to seek prompt removal of such content. ‘Having an intimate image shared without consent, whether real or AI-generated, can be devastating,’ said Meta’s communications director Andy Stone.

During her tenure in the first Trump administration, Melania Trump led a youth initiative focused on online safety, indicating her long-standing interest in this area. She has hinted at reviving similar programs as part of her ongoing advocacy efforts. Following her Capitol appearance, she is expected to attend the President’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.