Congress criminalizes nonconsensual intimate images, mandates 48-hour platform removal

What it does

This bill criminalizes the nonconsensual publication of intimate images and deepfake sexual depictions of adults and minors, with penalties up to 3 years imprisonment. It requires major social media platforms to establish a takedown process responding within 48 hours to removal requests, and empowers the FTC to enforce compliance as an unfair trade practice.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is dual: it creates a federal crime for nonconsensual intimate imagery (both authentic and AI-generated) and mandates platform removal processes with FTC enforcement. The functional purpose is victim protection and platform accountability, not industry regulation or revenue.

What the text implies

• The 48-hour removal deadline may create pressure on platforms to over-remove content, potentially catching edge cases (satire, news reporting, or legitimate speech) in the net—though the bill includes exceptions for law enforcement, legal proceedings, and good-faith reporting.
• The definition of 'digital forgery' relies on a 'reasonable person' standard for indistinguishability, which may be difficult to apply consistently as AI generation technology evolves and becomes more sophisticated.
• Platforms must make 'reasonable efforts' to identify and remove 'known identical copies'—a vague standard that could expose platforms to liability disputes over what constitutes reasonable effort.
• The bill extends FTC jurisdiction to nonprofits and non-profit organizations, broadening enforcement beyond traditional for-profit platforms and potentially affecting smaller community-run services.
• Criminal penalties (up to 3 years for minors' depictions) may deter some perpetrators but also create incentives for perpetrators to operate on encrypted or offshore platforms outside U.S. jurisdiction.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill protects citizens—particularly women and minors—from a serious form of sexual abuse and harassment (nonconsensual intimate imagery and deepfake pornography). It creates both criminal liability for perpetrators and a civil removal mechanism with FTC enforcement, giving victims a practical remedy and platforms a clear legal duty to respond quickly.

Named in the bill

Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Interactive computer services / social media platforms, Law enforcement agencies, Intelligence agencies

Where it stands

21 cosponsors: 11 Democrats, 10 Republicans.

• Jan 16, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jan 16, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation”
• Feb 13, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent”
• Feb 13, 2025 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S988; text: CR S988-990)”
• Apr 28, 2025 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 2…”
• Apr 28, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Bilirakis moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”
• May 19, 2025 — Signed into law · Congress.gov: “Became Public Law No: 119-12”
• May 19, 2025 — Sent to president · Congress.gov: “Presented to President”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

15 lobbying clients named this bill on 22 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $37,491,909 in lobbying spend. A filing names 22 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 95% of bills with at least one filing.

Ted Cruz, the sponsor, reported $531,115 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $17,960,000 on 1 filing
• Google Client Services LLC — $6,920,000 on 2 filings
• Meta Platforms, Inc. and Various Subsidiaries — $5,990,000 on 1 filing
• American Association for Justice — $3,610,000 on 2 filings
• Software & Information Industry Association — $1,396,909 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.