WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, spoke in support of his bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Network (TAKE IT DOWN) Act, during a full committee legislative markup.

This critical legislation would protect victims of real and deepfake 'revenge pornography' by criminalizing the publication of these harmful images, in addition to requiring websites to remove them quickly. The rising popularity of AI requires decisive federal legal protections that will empower victims of these heinous crimes, most of whom are women and girls.

Watch his remarks HERE, or read them as delivered below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the TAKE IT DOWN Act.

I am deeply concerned about the rise in deep fake pornographic images in the United States that destroy innocent lives, as well as the inconsistent, or rather nonexistent, legislation to protect victims of this egregious act at a state level. This bill is a critical step to solve this problem and protect innocent victims of non-consensual intimate imagery.

We've heard time and again of the horrific stories of people ranging from celebrities to 14-year-old girls who have been victimized by this harmful content by strangers or even their peers. While AI has the potential to be harnessed for incredible things, there are far too many predators out there who abuse its power to exploit innocent people. This is why Congress must implement decisive federal guidelines.

As a father of three girls - it is sickening, it is harmful, and it must stop. Big tech will not remain complicit anymore - they will take it down. This commonsense legislation is simple and should be a no-brainer to support. It would criminalize the publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images, including AI-generated deepfakes, and require platforms to remove them.

This legislation has also been narrowly crafted to ensure that it does not affect consensual and constitutionally protected speech, which brings me back to the fact that this should be a no-brainer to support. If anyone here is on the fence about this legislation, I urge you to put yourself in the shoes of your daughter, your wife, your sister, or anyone who has fallen victim to these egregious acts.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act has not only passed the Senate unanimously, but President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have also openly supported this legislation. I'm proud to be one of the house co-leads on this bipartisan, bicameral effort to prevent explicit material from circulating and harming innocent victims.

And of all the things that we do in Congress, I think this act, this TAKE IT DOWN Act, in a bipartisan fashion can move the needle to protect innocent people. Can move the needle to protect our sisters, our daughters, our wives, and anyone who has been taken advantage of.

I urge both Republicans and Democrats on this committee to support this legislation and get it swiftly signed into law and I yield back.

Background:

In January 2025, Rep. Pfluger joined several of his colleagues in reintroducing the TAKE IT DOWN Act. Over 100 organizations and advocacy groups support the act, and a full list can be found here.

Additionally, First Lady Melania Trump has strongly backed this bill, speaking in support of this legislation during a roundtable she hosted at the U.S. Capitol

To read the full text of the legislation, click here.