Senator Ted Cruz

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

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

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

Deep fakes, and we're seeing the numbers. The numbers have increased 3,000%. of deep fakes that are being put out.

Deep fakes, and we're seeing the numbers. The numbers have increased 3,000%. of deep fakes that are being put out.

Deep fakes, and we're seeing the numbers. The numbers have increased 3,000%. of deep fakes that are being put out.

They're real pictures but they're real people but fake either explicit pictures or in some cases explicit videos that appear to be sexual videos and they're generated by AI but nobody watching can tell and this is exploding and one of the reasons you need the legislation is a number of states have passed laws criminalizing revenge porn But the laws often don't cover deep fakes.

They're real pictures but they're real people but fake either explicit pictures or in some cases explicit videos that appear to be sexual videos and they're generated by AI but nobody watching can tell and this is exploding and one of the reasons you need the legislation is a number of states have passed laws criminalizing revenge porn But the laws often don't cover deep fakes.

They're real pictures but they're real people but fake either explicit pictures or in some cases explicit videos that appear to be sexual videos and they're generated by AI but nobody watching can tell and this is exploding and one of the reasons you need the legislation is a number of states have passed laws criminalizing revenge porn But the laws often don't cover deep fakes.