Melania Trump on March 3. Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
House leaders say they're ready to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act after Melania Trump threw her weight behind the bipartisan bill on Monday.
The big picture: Tech policy bills often struggle to make it over the finish line, but this online safety legislation is moving quickly this Congress.
Driving the news: The first lady joined a roundtable on Capitol Hill on Monday with congressional leaders and victims of child sexual abuse material to push for the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
- Bill sponsors Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Maria Salazar attended, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie.
State of play: Guthrie said E&C would hold an educational hearing on the bill "very, very soon," and promised it would be a top priority for the committee "over the next few weeks."
- Guthrie said another kids' safety bill would be part of the hearing and lawmakers are still deciding whether it will be the Kids Online Safety Act.
- Johnson said he's "anxious" to get the legislation to the House floor and Scalise said he "has no doubt" it would get to President Trump's desk.
What's inside: The TAKE IT DOWN Act would require platforms to remove CSAM and non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of being notified by the victim, and criminalizes posting such content.
- People who post such content would face penalties and prison time under the bill. Further, the FTC could sue tech companies for not complying as an unfair or deceptive act or practice.
Catch up quick: The Senate passed the legislation unanimously last month.
- It almost made it into a year-end spending bill last year, but was removed at the last minute.
- Scalise said Congress can take a long time to get things done, but this time there is "the right coalition" and the "right leaders" to pass the bill into law.
What they're saying: Melania Trump spoke of the risks of an "AI driven" world, including the misuse of Americans' data.
- "Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves free without the looming threat of exploitation," she said.
Friction point: The first lady expressed disappointment that not enough Democrats attended the event.
- Co-sponsor Sen. Amy Klobuchar was not there, but said in a statement that she is thankful for the first lady's support.
- "We must provide victims of online abuse with legal protections when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse," Klobuchar said.
