On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) backed legislation to crack down on AI-generated deepfakes and nonconsensual explicit images by creating federal penalties and requiring rapid takedowns from online platforms.

Take It Down Act Targets AI Deepfakes

Cruz posted on X that "no child or family should have to endure the trauma of seeing AI-generated deepfakes used as a weapon against them."

He said the "TAKE IT DOWN Act," which he authored, would make it a federal crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated content. The proposal would also require platforms to remove such content within 48 hours of being reported.

Paris Hilton, YouTube Push Deepfake Protections

Earlier, Paris Hilton said her advocacy work in Washington, D.C. had become the most meaningful part of her career as she supported bipartisan efforts to combat AI-generated deepfake abuse through the DEFIANCE Act. She joined lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol to back legislation that would let victims of nonconsensual explicit AI-generated images sue creators or distributors, while urging Congress to move the bill forward. Hilton also referenced her own experience with nonconsensual intimate imagery, calling it abuse and warning that victims remain vulnerable online.

YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) Google, launched a pilot program allowing public officials and journalists to detect and request the removal of AI-generated deepfake videos using their likeness. The system requires identity verification, enables users to flag content that violates policy, and continues to allow protected expression such as parody. YouTube said the initiative is designed to protect public trust in online information and also supports federal efforts like the NO FAKES Act to regulate AI impersonation.

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