Sen. Ted Cruz Says New Deepfake Bill Will Hold Tech Companies Accountable

Senator Ted Cruz is getting serious about tackling deepfake AI-generated porn with his latest bill ... which is all about forcing tech companies to do the right thing, and swiftly too.

The Texas senator came on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... telling us how the "Take It Down Act" will federally charge individuals who publish non-consensual content online -- and more importantly, mandate big tech companies to take down such content within 48 hours.

TC tells us he got the idea to propose the bill after jumping in to help a Texas high school girl whose deepfake pics ended up on Snapchat for 9 months due to a boy at her school.

According to the senator, the kid got off easy and was just transferred to another school ... nothing more. But, under this new bill -- which Cruz wants to make the law of the land -- pulling the same stunt would land somebody in hot legal water.

If the victim is a minor, it could mean 3 years behind bars ... and if they're an adult, it's 2 years in the slammer -- that's what Ted and other bipartisan legislators have proposed.

The deepfake trend has also targeted loads of celebs like Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion and most recently Jacob Elordi ... who had his likeness used without his consent in pornographic content involving a minor, sparking widespread disgust online.