USA "Take It Down Act" signed, points to future controversies
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USA has new law that bans nonconsensual sharing of "intimate" images.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/19/take-it-down-act-trump/83731286007/
Its stated intent or "marketing" is: stop revenge porn, stop lewd deepfakes of people.
To protect under-18 is obvious YES.
Problem is, over-18 content we will lose as law gets applied more & more broadly.
First, what about intimate & non-consensual that is legit newsworthy? Remember SenateTwink?
I doubt he wanted his fuck vids out there, BUT, 1. He's the one who fucked in near-sacred public space as middle finger to his nation, 2. He has since monetized it / gone on OnlyFans. Does his stuff need to come down?
Or Hunter Biden laptop - his naked pics as he does crack with whores were mostly blurred out - and, blurred out, they were newsworthy. Voters deserved to see what it was about.
Also does "intimate" extend to images non-sex taken at nude beach? or semi-public, like nude sex-segregated locker? roadside piss?
If yes, what about speedo or bikini? how intimate is intimate?
What about self-published images & later, person changes their mind?
What about porn created & shared consensually, then re-shared in absence of explicit consent? (cough)
These things are sure to be litigated. & infrastructure created to enforce this law, will (further) enable broad censorship or get mis-used.
Ordinary satire, for instance, will be taken down because the law has no penalties against frivolous takedown requests & platforms will find it easier to over-comply.
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The same thing happened in the UK. It started out fine, then expanded by the courts. The government pulled back some, which helped.
