“C’mon, sign it anyway,” the president told his wife.
Melania Trump’s signature is merely symbolic since first ladies are not elected and they play no role in the enactment of legislation.
In March, Melania Trump used her first public appearance since resuming the role of first lady to travel to Capitol Hill to lobby House members to pass the bill following its approval by the Senate.
In his speech to Congress in March, the president said he looked forward to signing the bill.
“And I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind,” he said, adding, that there’s nobody who “gets treated worse than I do online.
WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump helped push the Take It Down Act through Congress, which penalizes online sexual exploitation. Despite what appeared to be a minor protest on her part, Melania Trump also signed the Take It Down Act into law on Monday.
Still, the president told his wife, “C’mon, sign it anyway.”. He said, “She deserves to sign it.”.
She signed it, and the president then raised the document to reveal both of their names to the crowd at the White House Rose Garden ceremony. Given that first ladies are not elected and have no say in legislation, Melania Trump’s signature is only symbolic.
Melania Trump made her first public appearance since taking back the position of first lady in March when she traveled to Capitol Hill to urge House members to approve the bill after the Senate had approved it.
She referred to the new law as a “national victory” during a signing ceremony, saying it will help shield kids from online abuse, including when artificial intelligence is used to create phony images.
She claimed that social media and artificial intelligence (AI) are the digital candy of the future, sweet and addictive, and designed to affect our kids’ cognitive development. However, unlike sugar, these new technologies have the potential to be lethal, weaponized, and to influence beliefs and emotions. “”.
“Countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” the president said, referring to the widespread use of AI-generated images. “What’s happening is just so horribly wrong,” he said. “”.
“We’re making it completely illegal today,” Trump declared.
According to the bill, it is illegal to “knowingly publish” or threaten to publish private photos—including “deepfakes” produced by artificial intelligence—without the subject’s consent. After a victim requests it, websites and social media platforms must take down the content within 48 hours. Additionally, the platforms need to take action to remove redundant content.
Although many states have already prohibited the distribution of revenge porn or sexually explicit deepfakes, the Take It Down Act is an uncommon instance of federal regulators placing restrictions on internet companies.
The senators introduced the bill. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas. was passed by the House in April with a 409-2 vote and the Senate by unanimous consent, demonstrating the overwhelming bipartisan support it received in Congress.
However, there are those who oppose the measure. Digital rights organizations and free speech advocates claim the bill is overly expansive and may result in the censorship of acceptable images, such as LGBTQ and legal pornographic material. Others claim that it might compromise due process by enabling the government to monitor private communications.
At a roundtable on Capitol Hill with lawmakers and young women whose images were posted online, the first lady said it was “heartbreaking” to witness the suffering that teenagers, particularly girls, endure after this occurs to them. Additionally, she invited a victim to attend the president’s speech to a joint session of Congress the following day.
The bipartisan vote was a “powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children,” Melania Trump said after the House passed the bill. “.”.
The Be Best campaign she launched during the president’s first term, which focused on social media use, opioid abuse, and children’s wellbeing, is being carried on by her support of the bill.
The president expressed his eagerness to sign the bill in his March address to Congress.
If you don’t mind, I’m going to use that bill for myself as well,” he added, noting that no one “gets treated worse than I do online.”. No one. “”.
