Here’s how the FTC plans to enforce the Take It Down Act - CyberScoop
The FTC will begin enforcing the Take It Down Act, requiring online services to remove nonconsensual deepfake media within 48 hours of notice or face fines.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- real people
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is set to begin enforcing the Take It Down Act, requiring websites and online services to remove nonconsensual deepfake media promptly. Failure to comply within 48 hours after a victim’s notice could result in fines and an FTC investigation.
What happened
The law, passed by Congress last year, allowed law enforcement to immediately prosecute individuals who create and post such content online. Under the enforcement regime taking effect, businesses that fail to remove flagged media within the 48-hour notification window could face fines and an investigation from the FTC. The FTC set a maximum civil penalty of $53,088 per violation for companies that don’t take down content as required. The law covers websites, apps, social media, image or video sharing services and gaming platforms. Earlier this year, an AI service was used to flood a social media site with nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes of real people.