The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are turning up the pressure on companies behind so-called “nudify” artificial intelligence platforms, and the message coming out of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission this week was hard to miss.
FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson confirmed Wednesday that the agency sent warning letters to 12 companies tied to the operation of AI-driven nudification services. The companies were not publicly identified, but the move was framed as part of a broader effort to enforce compliance with the Take It Down Act.
“Today we’re demonstrating just how serious we are about protecting the public, especially children, from abusive online conduct,” Ferguson said in a press statement. “Platforms no longer have any excuses—they must comply with their obligations under the Take It Down Act or face the consequences.”
The federal enforcement push formally began May 19, marking the start of implementation for the Take It Down Act, which was signed into law nearly a year ago. The law establishes federal criminal penalties for publishing non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes created without a person’s consent.
Under the law, platforms are required to follow a strict notice-and-removal process. Once notified, companies generally have 48 hours to remove the reported content. The warning letters sent to the companies were signed by Christopher G. Mufarrige, who leads the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“The FTC’s May 20 warning letters show that the agency is not waiting for a long ramp-up period,” cautioned Corey Silverstein in a legal alert. “The compliance deadline has passed, and the FTC has begun identifying businesses that appear to lack the required removal process.”
Silverstein added, “Businesses should not wait until they receive a warning letter. The FTC has expressly stated that violations may be treated as violations of an FTC rule and may result in civil penalties.”
At roughly the same time, Australia’s online safety regulator also moved against a nudification platform. Julie Inman Grant, the country’s eSafety Commissioner, announced enforcement action against an unnamed service for allegedly failing to comply with industry codes governing online safety. The office issued what is known as a Direction to Comply order, giving the company 14 days to address the concerns or potentially face penalties worth millions.
“The popularity of this ‘nudify’ platform and the ease of which children can access it is deeply concerning,” Grant said. “These are services that enable the creation of sexually explicit content involving real people and are extremely caustic to adults (mostly women) but also pose an unacceptable risk to children.”
Reflecting on the Australian action, Silverstein said the regulatory direction is becoming increasingly clear across multiple jurisdictions.
“The action reinforces a broader regulatory trend: AI services that generate or enable sexualized deepfake content are being treated as high-risk services requiring proactive safety controls, age-appropriate access restrictions, and documented compliance processes.”
