Today, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) announced its involvement with more than 30 other civil society organizations and cybersecurity experts in a collective effort to address concerns with the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This initiative aims to urge the House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce to amend the Act to better protect encryption.
According to the letter submitted by the group, the TAKE IT DOWN Act's primary objective is to prevent the circulation of non-consensual intimate imagery, which they acknowledge as a "laudable goal." However, they argue that the Act's extensive requirements for content removal could compel encrypted service providers to compromise encryption or implement invasive monitoring technologies, posing potential threats to cybersecurity and free speech.
The group is specifically calling on the Committee members to revise the Act by adding encrypted services to the list of services that already have exemptions from obligations set forth in the legislation.
The letter from CDT and its allies accompanies their ongoing advocacy to modify the bill in a manner that considers the risks to users’ online speech and privacy rights.
"Read the full letter here."