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Today, First Lady Melania Trump reaffirmed her commitment to the protection and well-being of children and youth in the digital space by sending a written message to participants of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) workshop entitled, “The Attention Economy: How Big Tech Firms Exploit Children and Hurt Families.”
In her message, Mrs. Trump said, “I look forward to hearing the outcomes from this workshop so we can continue to shape federal policies that protect children. We will work together to develop tools to empower parents and youth, and we will lean on tech executives in the private sector to do their part.” She went on to thank FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson for his leadership on this issue. The full text of First Lady Melania Trump’s message is included below.
“I’m also incredibly grateful to the First Lady for her leadership on the ‘TAKE IT DOWN Act’. Getting legislation done in any circumstance is very difficult, and the ‘TAKE IT DOWN’ Act could not have gotten through Congress without the First Lady’s intervention and leadership,” said Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. “The First Lady’s advocacy in particular was extremely valuable to get this bill across the finish line,” he continued.
Mrs. Trump’s message for the FTC workshop reflects her ongoing commitment to promoting public and private sector collaboration for the well-being of children and youth. Today’s event follows President Trump’s signing of the “TAKE IT DOWN Act,” a new law that empowers individuals and families to request the swift removal of non-consensual explicit imagery—including content generated by artificial intelligence. Mrs. Trump championed the passage of the “TAKE IT DOWN Act” through Congress, as part of her BE BEST initiative, which has long focused on children’s well-being and online protection.
Click here to read more about the FTC event.
Full Text of First Lady Melania Trump’s Message:
I send my greetings to those gathered at the Federal Trade Commission’s Attention Economy Workshop.
At the White House, we recently celebrated the signing of the “TAKE IT DOWN Act” as part of my BE BEST initiative, which is focused on promoting children’s well-being and safety—especially in the digital space. This new law reflects those values and marks real progress. But our work is not complete.
I look forward to hearing the outcomes from this workshop so we can continue to shape federal policies that protect children. We will work together to develop tools to empower parents and youth, and we will lean on tech executives in the private sector to do their part.
Like many of you, I’ve met with survivors and families whose lives have been affected by non-consensual intimate imagery and deepfake abuse. Let their courage continue to inspire us to find solutions to protect children and youth from online harm. My thanks to Chairman Ferguson for his leadership, and I thank all of you for your hard work to secure a safer future for our children.
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