Tools to Address Known Exploitation By Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, every generation of Congress faces moments that test our commitment to justice, and today is one of those moments.

I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 146, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The Senate has already done its job. They passed this legislation unanimously. Now, it is our turn in the House of Representatives. This is our moment to stand up to protect our children and make this the law of the land.

The name of the legislation is the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The mission of this bill is simple, profound, and long lasting. It stops cyber abuse. It prevents the bullying of one child against another and, even more importantly, prevents suicide born out of shame.

It is outrageously sick to use images--the face, the voice, the likeness--of a young vulnerable female to manipulate them, to extort them, and to humiliate them publicly just for fun, just for revenge. That is why we created this bill, to stop the abuse spreading like wildfire right now on social media.

It is widely known that 99 percent of the time, the victims, most of them girls, don't even know their faces, their bodies, their intimate parts are being circulated around the internet in fake, compromising pornographic images. Unfortunately, in life, perception is reality. Even though the images are fake, the consequences are very, very real.

Even though, as I said, the images do not belong to them, those girls are paying for them dearly with shame, humiliation, and the unbearable suffering when you are 14, 15 years old. Up until now, there was no recourse. Just imagine waking up one morning to find yourself trapped in a nightmare that you never created. This is exactly what is happening to our children, and this is why we must act.

Mr. Speaker, the bill called the TAKE IT DOWN Act finally sends a very loud and clear message to Big Tech. If you, Big Tech, do not remove these fake images within 48 hours, you are as guilty and as responsible as the predators who created them.

I am talking to Snapchat, to Instagram, and to TikTok. All of them will have to comply within 48 hours when a victim calls and demands and tells you that you have to remove those images. There are no more excuses. You, Big Tech, have to take it down.

Let's talk to the bullies, to the predators, to the perverts who are hiding behind a computer, the ones who created this fake material. If you dare to do this again to another innocent child, most of them girls, you are going to prison. You will be in jail for a long time. Don't do it, and don't dare to do it anymore. Prison is a great place where you can sit and ponder what you have done to another human being.

Today, we take away the power from the aggressors and the accomplices, and we give it back to the victims and their families. Up until now, the parents of the victims found that the schools couldn't do anything. The police couldn't do anything. Big Tech would not even pay attention to them but no more. Now they can because we are passing this law.

What a great honor it is for me to be part of this initiative, one that the First Lady has personally championed. The President of the United States endorsed this legislation during the recent state of the Union that he conducted in front of Congress. The President explained this as a vital step to defend our sons and daughters against online predators.

My fellow colleagues, this is not about politics. This is about basic human dignity. This is about protecting children who are the most vulnerable among us. As I just mentioned, the Commander in Chief called on us to act on this law in this very Chamber a few weeks ago.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the House of Representatives to vote ``yes'' on the TAKE IT DOWN Act. Let's make history today. Let's protect our children. Let's just take it down.

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