Protect & Prevent - The Take It Down Act - Why We Need It and Why We Need More

The Take It Down Act will protect victims of digital exploitation, hold internet platforms accountable by requiring them to remove such imagery from their platform and provide justice for victims by allowing prosecutors to go after those who publish nonconsensual explicit images online," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters (as reported in USA Today Network).

May 19th President Donald Trump signed a bill that had been promoted by Melania Trump to help protect minors from online exploitation. The bill does many things including requiring Electronic Service Providers (ESP) to scrub their platforms and take down any non-consensual intimate imagery upon notice from the victim within 48 hours of the verified request.

Million Kids celebrates this achievement. Certainly, there is much more to be done. Few parents, teachers, pastors, civic leaders and parents and grandparents recognize the magnitude of the issue.

In 2024, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) processed more than 20 MILLION reports of possible online exploitation. This is with only 15% of ESPs reporting. And Million Kids believes the number is much greater because of some manipulation in reporting.

Even more terrifying is to recognize that 84% reports of child sexual exploitation online resolved outside the U.S., meaning that our kids are on the global front line of exploitation. It is important to understand that there was a 1,325% increase in CyberTipline Reports that involved Generative AL Technology (GAI).

Be sure to join this podcast as we sort through the upside of this new legislation and challenge all of us to do more to keep our kids safe from predators.