On Monday, President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law, making it a federal crime to publish AI-generated deep fakes and non-consensual intimate imagery. John Wihbey, associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University, called the law a welcome step in addressing online harm. At the same time, he warns that poor implementation could lead to unintended consequences.
“The reporting system for triggering takedowns is in some ways the whole ball game,” Wihbey says. “You have to construct a system where it’s fair to victims and doesn’t re-traumatize them. It should be relatively straightforward and easy to use, but is not susceptible to being gamified or weaponized or have unintended consequences. That’s really tricky.”
