US President Donald Trump gave a special mention to the teen victim of deepfake pornography, Elliston Berry, whose illicit deep fake images were produced by a peer.

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He highlighted that with Berry's help, the Senate passed the Take It Down Act.

“Hayley Ferguson, who benefited from the First Lady's ‘Fostering the Future’ initiative and is poised to complete her education, become a teacher. And Elliston Berry, who became a victim of an illicit deep fake image produced by a peer. With Elliston’s help, the Senate just passed the Take It Down Act,” Trump said.

A classmate allegedly took a photo from Elliston's Instagram account, manipulated it using artificial intelligence to create a deepfake image that appeared to remove her dress, and then shared the altered image on Snapchat.

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The proliferation of deepfake content escalated dramatically in 2024, with a staggering 460 per cent increase in deepfake pornographic videos, totaling over 21,000 online - a stark rise from the previous year.

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Melania backs deepfake porn bill in first solo engagement

US First Lady Melania Trump endorsed a bill that aims to safeguard Americans from deepfake revenge pornography. 

In her first solo public engagement since her husband's return to the White House, Melania, on Monday, appeared in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill, where she aimed to highlight the Take It Down Act.

Also read: Firefighter killed in Trump assassination plot given special mention in President’s Congress address | WATCH

The legislation that makes it a crime to publish non-consensual sexual imagery online, often generated using inexpensive and widely accessible artificial intelligence tools.

"In today's AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarming and high," the first lady told the panel, sitting next to two teenage female victims of deepfake porn.

"It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content," she added.

"Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people," she further said. 

"I hope today’s roundtable builds awareness of the harm caused by nonconsensual intimate imagery and eventually the approval of the Take it Down Act in Congress," Melania added.

What is the 'Take It Down Act'?

The bill, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, aims to protect victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse by requiring social media platforms and websites to swiftly remove such content, including AI-generated pornography, upon receiving a notification from the victim. 

Though the bill has passed a vote in the US Senate, it is yet to clear the House of Representatives.

(With inputs from agencies)