Senator Ted Cruz

took a perfectly innocent picture of her from social media and used an app, an AI app, to create a deep fake that turned her picture into naked pictures. Now, it wasn't real, but anyone looking at it would think it was real. It appeared to be real. And then this... Ninth grader emailed it or not emailed, but sent it on Snapchat to all of her classmates.

And so she woke up, you know, just in tears because all of her classmates. I mean, look, remember how hard freshman year is. It's hard to be a teenager. And the nightmare, you're a teenage girl and suddenly all your friends think they're looking at naked pictures of you. And and and there was nothing she could do about it. The boy they found out who did it.

And so she woke up, you know, just in tears because all of her classmates. I mean, look, remember how hard freshman year is. It's hard to be a teenager. And the nightmare, you're a teenage girl and suddenly all your friends think they're looking at naked pictures of you. And and and there was nothing she could do about it. The boy they found out who did it.

And so she woke up, you know, just in tears because all of her classmates. I mean, look, remember how hard freshman year is. It's hard to be a teenager. And the nightmare, you're a teenage girl and suddenly all your friends think they're looking at naked pictures of you. And and and there was nothing she could do about it. The boy they found out who did it.

And he did not get in significant trouble. And she was frustrated out of her mind. Now, it's kind of a cool story. how the take it down legislation happened, which is she's a Texan, she's a constituent. And so her mother called my office and described what had happened to her daughter and said, look, can y'all help us with this? And my team brought it to my attention.

And he did not get in significant trouble. And she was frustrated out of her mind. Now, it's kind of a cool story. how the take it down legislation happened, which is she's a Texan, she's a constituent. And so her mother called my office and described what had happened to her daughter and said, look, can y'all help us with this? And my team brought it to my attention.

And he did not get in significant trouble. And she was frustrated out of her mind. Now, it's kind of a cool story. how the take it down legislation happened, which is she's a Texan, she's a constituent. And so her mother called my office and described what had happened to her daughter and said, look, can y'all help us with this? And my team brought it to my attention.

And I said, look, this is horrible. Let's do something about it. And so Elliston was actually the inspiration for this legislation because I heard what happened to her. And I said, this isn't right. And so we drafted the bill, and we invited Ellison and her mom, Anna, to come up to D.C., and they were at the press conference where we introduced the bill. And, Ben, it was striking.

And I said, look, this is horrible. Let's do something about it. And so Elliston was actually the inspiration for this legislation because I heard what happened to her. And I said, this isn't right. And so we drafted the bill, and we invited Ellison and her mom, Anna, to come up to D.C., and they were at the press conference where we introduced the bill. And, Ben, it was striking.

And I said, look, this is horrible. Let's do something about it. And so Elliston was actually the inspiration for this legislation because I heard what happened to her. And I said, this isn't right. And so we drafted the bill, and we invited Ellison and her mom, Anna, to come up to D.C., and they were at the press conference where we introduced the bill. And, Ben, it was striking.

We were meeting in my office before the press conference, and I was talking. It was the first time I'd met them in person. And I was talking, and I asked in the middle of the conversation, I said, okay, so what happened to the pictures? And they both looked at me in enormous frustration, and they said, they're still up. It had been nine months since this had happened.

We were meeting in my office before the press conference, and I was talking. It was the first time I'd met them in person. And I was talking, and I asked in the middle of the conversation, I said, okay, so what happened to the pictures? And they both looked at me in enormous frustration, and they said, they're still up. It had been nine months since this had happened.

We were meeting in my office before the press conference, and I was talking. It was the first time I'd met them in person. And I was talking, and I asked in the middle of the conversation, I said, okay, so what happened to the pictures? And they both looked at me in enormous frustration, and they said, they're still up. It had been nine months since this had happened.

And Elliston's mom said she had called Snapchat repeatedly. She'd emailed them, and she just got the stiff arm. She said they were just stonewalling. They would get no response whatsoever. And so I turned to my staff, and I said, I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today. And I said, I want this garbage down today. Within two hours, they pulled him down. Incredible.

And Elliston's mom said she had called Snapchat repeatedly. She'd emailed them, and she just got the stiff arm. She said they were just stonewalling. They would get no response whatsoever. And so I turned to my staff, and I said, I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today. And I said, I want this garbage down today. Within two hours, they pulled him down. Incredible.

And Elliston's mom said she had called Snapchat repeatedly. She'd emailed them, and she just got the stiff arm. She said they were just stonewalling. They would get no response whatsoever. And so I turned to my staff, and I said, I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today. And I said, I want this garbage down today. Within two hours, they pulled him down. Incredible.

Now, look, it's maddening, but it shouldn't take a sitting U.S. senator making a phone call to the CEO to get it down. The victims ought to have the right to get it down. So what we wrote into the Take It Down Act is, number one, we make it a felony.

Now, look, it's maddening, but it shouldn't take a sitting U.S. senator making a phone call to the CEO to get it down. The victims ought to have the right to get it down. So what we wrote into the Take It Down Act is, number one, we make it a felony.

Now, look, it's maddening, but it shouldn't take a sitting U.S. senator making a phone call to the CEO to get it down. The victims ought to have the right to get it down. So what we wrote into the Take It Down Act is, number one, we make it a felony.

to post non-consensual intimate images either real pictures let's say you have uh and real pictures can come from a number of places they can come from number one uh people who are in a romantic relationship and they take a picture they take a video and then they have a breakup and somebody's pissed and decide to post it to the world and that's a grotesque violation of privacy you don't have a right to do do that to somebody else or they can come uh from