FTC warns companies to comply with Take It Down Act
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference June 18, 2024, in Washington, D.C., to unveil the Take It Down Act to protect victims against nonconsensual intimate image abuse. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to 12 unnamed websites Wednesday to cease offering “nudify” tools that may violate a new federal law allowing victims to petition platforms for the removal of nonconsensual intimate images within “48 hours of a valid request.”
The FTC threatened violators with civil penalties of up to $53,088 per offense if they refuse to comply with the Take It Down Act. Companies allowing users to alter images to make a person appear nude were sent warning letters, particularly if the platforms fail to provide a take-down process of sexualized images posted online.
The Take It Down Act, which stands for the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act, was first introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2024. It requires certain websites and online applications to implement processes for notification and removal of deepfakes and other artificial intelligence-generated digital forgeries, according to coverage by Law.com.
Andrew N. Ferguson, the chairman of the FTC, released a statement noting that, “Platforms no longer have any excuses—they must comply with their obligations under the Take It Down Act or face the consequences.”
The FTC’s action came a day after the act was enforced. Last week, the agency sent compliance reminders to many technology platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). They had until May 19, 2026, to comply.
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