February 26, 2025
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The Honorable Maria Salazar
United States House of Representatives
2162 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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The Honorable Madeleine Dean
United States House of Representatives
150 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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The Honorable August Pfluger
United States House of Representatives
2202 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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The Honorable Vern Buchanan
United States House of Representatives
2409 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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The Honorable Stacey Plaskett
United States House of Representatives
2059 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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The Honorable Debbie Dingell
United States House of Representatives
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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Dear Representatives Salazar, Dean, Pfluger, Buchanan, Dingell, and Plaskett
On behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan organization representing the legislatures of all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, we write to express our strong support for the bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act (H.R.633/S.146) and urge its quick adoption in the House. This legislation is critical to curtailing the harm caused by the online posting of nonconsensual intimate images, including those generated through artificial intelligence and digital manipulation. NCSL supports criminalizing the publication of these harmful images and requiring websites to quickly take them down.
State legislators across the country have recognized the urgent need to combat the spread of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including deepfake technology that is increasingly being used to target individuals, especially women and minors. States are continually acting to address this issue through state legislation. In the past few years, more than half the states have enacted legislation related to regulating sexually explicit deepfakes. NCSL believes the TAKE IT DOWN Act bolsters state initiatives in this area and is an additional vehicle for protecting all Americans from the heinous exploitation the posting of such material creates.
Moreover, this legislation reflects a bipartisan commitment to safeguarding personal privacy and dignity in the digital age. It provides clear protections for victims while maintaining appropriate exceptions for law enforcement, medical education and other legitimate uses. By requiring online platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images, the bill strikes a balance between protecting individuals from harm and preserving responsible digital governance.
NCSL encourages the House of Representatives to advance this legislation and provide states with a strong federal partner in addressing digital exploitation. We urge the House to take swift action to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act and send it to the president’s desk for his signature. Protecting individuals from the devastating consequences of nonconsensual intimate imagery is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of fundamental human dignity and justice.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We stand ready to work with you and your colleagues to support the passage of this legislation. Please do not hesitate to contact us or any of the following members of our government affairs team, Barrie Tabin, Susan Frederick, or Sanam Hooshidary, if we can provide any additional information.
Sincerely,
Tim Storey
Chief Executive Officer
National Conference of State Legislatures