First Lady Melania Trump made her first solo appearance of her husband’s new term, visiting Capitol Hill to lobby for passage of legislation that would ban the publication of non-consensual sexually exploitive images, including revenge porn and AI deepfakes.
Social media platforms would be required to remove such images within 48 hours. The bill makes it a crime to knowingly publish such non-consensual intimate visual depictions.
“In today’s AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarmingly high,” the first lady said at a roundtable. “As organizations harness the power of our data, the risk of unauthorized access and misuse of personal information escalates. We must prioritize robust security measures and uphold strict ethical standards to protect individual privacy.”
She also criticized Democrats by noting that more were not present at the event, even though the legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Rep. Ro Khanna was the only Democrat present.
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“I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter,” she said in prepared remarks. “I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
But legislation would have become law last year, as it was included in an end-of-the-year spending bill. Yet Donald Trump and Elon Musk objected to the overall bill, torpedoing its chances, and forced Congress to pass a slimmed down bill.
The Senate passed a new version of the bill last month.
“This legislation is essential for addressing the growing concerns related to online safety, protecting individual rights, and promoting a healthier digital environment,” the first lady said.
A series of other bills designed to address children’s online safety also passed the Senate with bipartisan support last year, including The Kids Online Safety Act. But that stalled out in the Republican-controlled House.
The first lady plans to attend her husband’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening.
The post Melania Trump Makes First Solo Appearance Of Husband’s New Term To Push For Bill Addressing Revenge Porn And AI Deepfakes appeared first on Deadline.
