Trump signs Take It Down Act, criminalizing deepfake and revenge porn
US President Donald Trump has signed the bipartisan “Take It Down Act,” which makes it a federal crime to share explicit images — real or AI-generated — without a person’s consent. Offenders can face up to three years in prison. The law also requires tech companies to remove such content within 48 hours of notification, according to BBC.
First Lady Melania Trump, who played a key role in promoting the bill, joined the president at the signing ceremony. She called the legislation a “national victory” that will help protect children and families from online exploitation.
The bill, supported by major tech companies including Meta, Google, and TikTok, is the sixth law signed during Trump’s second term. However, some digital rights groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warn the law could lead to over-censorship, threaten free expression, and undermine encryption and user privacy, BBC reported.
US Supreme Court lets Trump end deportation protection for Venezuelans
The US Supreme Court has approved the Trump administration’s plan to end deportation protections for about 350,000 Venezuelans living in the US under Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
The decision lifts a block from a California judge that had delayed the termination. TPS permits migrants to live and work legally in the US if their home countries face severe crises, BBC reported.
The administration aimed to end these protections in April 2025, over a year earlier than the original October 2026 deadline. Government lawyers argued the lower court had interfered with the president’s authority over immigration.
This ruling follows Trump’s recent push to end other immigration programs, including humanitarian parole for migrants from several countries. Last week, however, the Supreme Court rejected his attempt to use an old law to deport immigrants in Texas, according to BBC.
World Health Organization faces uncertainty amid US withdrawal
World Health Organization officials, donors, and diplomats gathered in Geneva this week amid significant funding challenges following the United States decision to withdraw from the agency, according to Reuters.
The US, which contributed around 18 percent of WHO’s funding, was absent from the assembly as the organization faces a $600m budget shortfall for 2025 and plans a 21 percent funding cut over the next two years.
The WHO will focus on core priorities like vaccine approval, outbreak response, and providing treatment guidelines while scaling back training programs and offices in wealthier countries. Despite President Donald Trump’s recent comments hinting at a possible reversal, global health leaders say the US remains on course to officially leave the WHO in January 2026, Reuters reported.
Russia bans Amnesty International over Ukraine war criticism
Russia has banned Amnesty International, labeling the human rights group “undesirable” for allegedly promoting “Russophobic projects” and supporting Ukraine. The Russian prosecutor’s office accused Amnesty of justifying crimes by Ukrainian “neo-Nazis” and calling for Russia’s political and economic isolation. The ban prohibits the organization from operating within Russia, Reuters reported.
Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, documenting alleged war crimes since the full-scale invasion in 2022. The group has also faced criticism for reporting on Ukraine’s wartime conduct. Russia has previously banned several foreign NGOs under laws targeting groups critical of the Kremlin.