U.S President Donald Trump has signed a bill into law, officially criminalizing the nonconsensual distribution of explicit images commonly referred to as revenge porn at the federal level. The new law fights against online exploitation and digital harassment.
Speaking during a signing ceremony held at the Capitol, Trump acknowledged the tireless work of lawmakers, including Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), as well as First Lady Melania Trump, both of whom played key roles in pushing the bill forward.
“I want to thank Senator Amy Klobuchar and First Lady Melania Trump for their collaboration in advancing this critical legislation to protect every American’s privacy and dignity online,” Trump said.
“This is not about politics—this is about people. It’s about standing up for victims who have had their lives turned upside down by this kind of abuse,” he added.
Melania Trump, who championed online safety through her ‘Be Best initiative’, expressed pride in seeing the bill come to life.
“This is about protecting vulnerable individuals, especially young people, from humiliation and harm,” she said in a statement. “I am proud to have played a part in this effort.”
The legislation had strong support across party lines and from digital rights groups, who argued that inconsistent State laws had left many victims unprotected. Legal experts say the federal law not only fills those gaps but sets a new standard for prosecuting digital harassment.
Though some free speech advocates raised concerns about potential overreach, lawmakers assured the public that the bill was carefully crafted to target only intentional, harmful acts of nonconsensual image sharing.
The law takes effect immediately, with federal agencies now responsible for enforcement and educating the public on the new protections.
