First Conviction Under Federal Take It Down Act Targets AI Deepfakes

An Ohio man, James Strahler II, became the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act for using AI to create nonconsensual intimate imagery, including child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals, and publishing digital forgeries after distributing hundreds of AI-generated images; the law criminalizes nonconsensual deepfakes and requires platforms to remove reported material within 48 hours, with penalties up to two years in prison for adult victims and up to three years for minor victims.