TAKE IT DOWN Act Notice-and-Removal Obligations Now Effective

Los Angeles, CA (May 19, 2026) — With the TAKE IT DOWN Act’s notice-and-removal protections now in effect, SAG-AFTRA, American Medical Association, Artist Rights Alliance, Association of Talent Agents, Black Music Action Coalition, Center for Countering Digital Hate, Creative Artists Agency, Deep Media, Human Artistry Campaign, Loti AI, Motion Picture Association, Music Artists Coalition, National Association of Voice Actors, Recording Industry Association of America, Songwriters of North America, Survivors & Tech Solving Image Based Sexual Abuse, Surreal AI, SuperBam, United Talent Agency, Vermillio and William Morris Endeavor, have united to celebrate this critical milestone in the fight against nonconsensual digital replication and to urge Congress to continue its work. 

Enacted on May 19, 2025, the TAKE IT DOWN Act required covered platforms to establish a process through which an identifiable individual can request removal of a nonconsensual intimate visual depiction. Upon receiving a valid request, the platform must remove the content within 48 hours and make reasonable efforts to identify and remove known identical copies. Those removal obligations became effective today. 

Effective enforcement of notice and takedown frameworks depends on the ability to surface violative content as it emerges. While the TAKE IT DOWN Act establishes critical removal obligations, the act of identifying nonconsensual imagery, unauthorized digital replicas and related harms across all layers of the web remains a significant challenge for victims and rightsholders. Advances in AI now make it possible to proactively surface a wide range of harmful content, strengthening the impact of notice-based regimes and reducing the burden on individuals. 

This marks an important step forward for victims of nonconsensual intimate imagery and AI-generated sexual deepfakes. However, the harms of nonconsensual digital replication extend far beyond sexualized content. 

SAG-AFTRA and partners urge Congress to build on the foundation started by TAKE IT DOWN by passing the NO FAKES Act. The legislation expands the protections against Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII) to include instances of fraud, commercial misappropriation and performance replacement. Under the No Fakes Act, online services receiving qualifying notice must remove or disable access to unauthorized digital replicas as soon as technically and practically feasible, address matching re-uploads and notify right holders and uploaders. 

There is a growing group of companies focused on technology solutions for voice and likeness protection and we believe this can be done. NCII detection, monitoring, and takedown systems demonstrate that scalable identification and enforcement of these harms is both technically feasible and already underway. 

The urgency to take further action is growing. Unauthorized replicas are being used for scams, exploitation, false endorsements and the replacement of human performance. Every day without effective notice and takedown remedies puts victims, medical professionals, performers, creators and consumers at risk and in danger, particularly when harmful content remains undiscovered and allowed to spread across fragmented online ecosystems. 

“Today we celebrate a landmark victory. For the public and for our members at SAG-AFTRA, this is a powerful safeguard against one of the most dangerous threats posed by artificial intelligence. We are grateful to every coalition partner who fought alongside us to reach this moment. As the trillion-dollar tech industry sharpens its attack on consumers, workers and the public at large, we must take the next giant policy leap to protect our lives and our interests. We must immediately pass the No Fakes Act to enshrine into law our individual right to our voice, image and likeness,” said SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin. 

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act is a crucial first step, but it is only the beginning. Congress must enact the NO FAKES Act to close the gaps that leave performers, creators and all of us vulnerable to fraud, exploitation and unauthorized performance replacement. Every day we delay is another day abusers exploit these loopholes. The time to take the next step is now,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. 

“The American Medical Association urges Congress to act quickly to establish strong safeguards against AI-generated impersonations of physicians. This threat is no longer theoretical. Scammers and bad actors currently use deepfake technology to prey on patients, promote dangerous or unproven treatments, and damage physician credibility. Without clear federal protections and accountability, these deceptive and fraudulent practices will continue to erode public confidence in healthcare and put patient safety at risk,” said American Medical Association Chief Executive Officer John Whyte, MD, MPH. 

“The May 19th effective date for the TAKE IT DOWN Act’s notice-and-removal obligations is a landmark victory for the artists our members represent and the integrity of the entertainment industry. For too long, digital predators have used nonconsensual deepfakes to harass and exploit talent, leaving victims with little recourse as their images proliferated across the web. By mandating that platforms remove this harmful content within 48 hours, we are finally putting a stop to the ‘delay and devastate’ cycle that has traumatized so many. Ultimately, we must continue this momentum to urge passing the federal NO FAKES Act which is so vital for protecting the livelihoods of artist/creators everywhere,” said Association of Talent Agents President Stuart K Robinson. 

“Passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act sends an important message that privacy, identity, and human dignity still matter in the digital age. But this moment also exposes how much further we still have to go. The same technology capable of creating opportunity is also being used to exploit people, replicate artists without consent, and profit from deception at scale. We cannot keep reacting after the damage is done. We need laws that match the speed and reality of this moment. That means moving aggressively toward stronger protections for creators, performers, and consumers before the line between what’s real and what’s manufactured disappears completely,” said Black Music Action Coalition Co-Founder, President and CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers. 

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act is a strong first step in protecting against AI-enabled abuse, but Americans still lack full protection against AI-enabled impersonation and fraud. CCDH research shows Meta is allowing shocking deepfakes of beloved public figures like Oprah to trick seniors into clicking on scams. Not only do individuals deserve to control their own likeness, users should be able to trust the images appearing in their feeds. Congress needs to pass the No FAKES Act to give people meaningful control over their identity and protect consumers from the growing wave of deception,” said Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO and Founder Imran Ahmed. 

“CAA stands firmly alongside SAG-AFTRA and our industry partners in celebrating the implementation of the TAKE IT DOWN Act’s vital protections. This milestone represents a meaningful advancement in safeguarding the rights of artists against the misuse of their identities and bodies of work. However, as technology evolves, so do the threats, and the passage of the NO FAKES Act is essential to address the broader spectrum of consequences caused by nonconsensual digital replication. We urge Congress to move swiftly to put strong protections in place to protect artists from unauthorized use of their image and work,” said Creative Artists Agency CEO and Co-Chairman Bryan Lourd. 

“Frameworks like the TAKE IT DOWN Act are a massive victory. However, the challenge remains that rightsholders and individuals have to find the violations themselves. This forces performers, creators, and everyday people to repeatedly hunt down their own stolen likenesses – a process many find traumatic and revictimizing. At Deep Media, we focus on proactive detection to stop this cycle. Our AI identifies digital harms automatically, preventing the secondary trauma suffered by victims needing to continuously rediscover their own stolen content. If the NO FAKES Act is going to fulfill its promise, policymakers must pair these powerful legal tools with robust proactive detection infrastructure,” said Deep Media Vice President of Product Ally Madrone. 

“As creators our voice and likeness are vital parts of our craft, our careers and the foundation on which we connect with others. The direct impact of rising harmful AI deepfakes forces a need to expand guardrails with real solutions, adding to the TAKE IT DOWN Act. That’s why the Human Artistry Campaign has long advocated alongside a growing coalition pushing for the NO FAKES Act, which would give all individuals a right to these core qualities only they deserve to have. With bipartisan support in both the Senate and House, we strongly believe this legislation can and should move forward now,” said Human Artistry Campaign Senior Advisor Dr. Moiya McTier. 

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act was a good start, but it’s clear that the threats on digital likeness go much further than its scope and the technology for creating them has improved dramatically since it was passed. We’re now at a point where creators, platforms, agencies and policymakers are all starting to recognize the same missing protections. The NO FAKES Act is the crucial next step in creating clear rules and real enforcement that people can rely on when their likeness is used without permission,” said Loti AI CEO and Founder Luke Arrigoni. 

“The Motion Picture Association continues to support the NO FAKES Act, which thoughtfully establishes federal protections against abusive and deceptive uses of digital replicas while respecting creators’ First Amendment rights and freedoms,” said Motion Picture Association President and CEO Charlie Rivkin. 

“TAKE IT DOWN works. NO FAKES will work too. Let’s pass it before another artist wakes up to find their voice for sale without their permission,” said Music Artists Coalition Executive Director Ron Gubitz. 

“The implementation of the TAKE IT DOWN Act is a major victory and an encouraging sign that Congress is taking the harms of unauthorized AI-generated content seriously. It shows that meaningful protections are possible and that platforms can act quickly when people are being exploited online. For the voice acting community, the NO FAKES Act is the critical next step. NAVA strongly supports passing this legislation that gives performers and everyday individuals the ability to protect their voices, likenesses and identities from unauthorized AI replication. As these technologies rapidly evolve, we need clear federal protections that put consent, transparency and human creativity first,” said National Association of Voice Actors President and Co-Founder Tim Friedlander. 

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act importantly recognized the urgency of removing nonconsensual digital replicas as a vital protection for Americans. We applaud that foundational notion garnering broad support in Congress, from the Administration, creative communities, child protection groups and tech. And now with the same alignment and fervor, it is time to pass the NO FAKES Act. This landmark legislation builds on voice and likeness safeguards against all AI deepfakes and clones while offering real action when those rights are violated, without inhibiting innovation,” said Recording Industry Association of America Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier. 

“SONA is proud to stand alongside this coalition at a moment of real progress. The TAKE IT DOWN Act lays important groundwork, and the NO FAKES Act is critical to ensure creators have clear, enforceable rights against unauthorized digital replication as these technologies continue to evolve,” said Songwriters of North America Attorney, Co-founder and Board Member Dina LaPolt. 

“The implementation of the TAKE IT DOWN Act marks a critical shift from awareness to enforceable protection. Survivors of image-based sexual abuse should not bear the burden of endlessly tracking and reporting their abuse online. Effective notice-and-removal systems, paired with proactive detection technologies, are essential 

to preventing ongoing revictimization in the digital age. At STISA, we believe this milestone is an important foundation and urgently needed to address the full spectrum of nonconsensual digital replication,” said Survivors & Tech Solving Image Based Sexual Abuse Co-Founder and General Manager Caroline Humer. 

“At SuperBam, we’ve spent nearly a decade protecting creators’ intellectual property rights. As AI has rapidly reshaped the media landscape, the tools available to creators and consumers to manage and understand distributed content have failed to keep pace. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is an important first step for copyright and likeness rights holders. Congress must now advance the NO FAKES Act to ensure platforms are accountable in the age of AI,” said SuperBam CEO and Founder Rian Bosak. 

“We need to protect our clients’ rights, livelihoods and creative identities as AI and digital replication technologies continue to evolve. UTA believes that innovation and consent must go hand in hand. We’re proud to stand alongside this coalition in support of the NO FAKES Act, which represents an important step toward establishing meaningful, enforceable protections against exploitation, fraud and the unauthorized use of voices, likenesses and performances,” said United Talent Agency CEO David Kramer. 

“Right now, AI companies, social media companies, and scammers are profiting from unauthorized use of music artists’, creators’, and everyday people’s voices and faces without authorization or compensation. The NO FAKES Act builds on the TAKE IT DOWN law and establishes what should be obvious: your identity is yours to control. We need nationwide likeness protection that sets the terms for the people, not the platforms,” said Vermillio Co-Founder and CEO Dan Neely. 

“AI can create incredible opportunities for artists and audiences alike, but protections have to keep pace with the technology. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is essential in protecting our clients and the public from harmful and exploitative content online. The next important step is passing the NO FAKES Act to safeguard our clients’ voice, likeness, and identity in the age of AI. We appreciate the bipartisan leadership on these issues and look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers as this conversation moves forward,” said William Morris Endeavor Co-Chairman Christian Muirhead.