If someone has posted intimate photos or videos of you online, you now have stronger legal tools to force platforms to remove them, whether the media is genuine or an AI-generated deepfake.
Tuesday marks the beginning of full enforcement of the Take It Down Act, which legally requires online platforms – social media, messaging, and image or video sharing apps – to implement processes to remove this type of material in response to valid takedown requests.
Enacted in 2025, the Take It Down Act was written in response to the growing proliferation of AI-generated and digitally manipulated sexual images. The law, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, also applies to genuine, non-consensual intimate images shared online.
The FTC is not directly responsible for the removal of content. Data subjects must first report the images to the platform administrator via the platform’s on-site tools. The agency will collect reports on platforms that fail to comply with the law’s removal requirements and may use these reports to support enforcement.
The FTC allows individuals to report non-consensual intimate images involving themselves or their children. Reports may also be submitted on behalf of a victim with their consent.
The agency also recommends reporting such incidents to local law enforcement and the FBI’s online tip line as appropriate.
FTC representatives pointed CNET to its press release and had no further comment.
How to submit a withdrawal request
If someone has shared non-consensual intimate images of you online, the first step is to report the content directly to the platform using its built-in moderation tools.
On platforms like Instagram and
The FTC’s Take It Down Act has a website where you can submit a report if platforms have not removed nonconsensual sexual images.
Federal Trade CommissionEach platform should have similar reporting tools. The new legislation requires the platform to remove images within 48 hours of a valid report.
If a platform fails to respond to a report of non-consensual intimate images, or if reporting tools are unavailable or malfunctioning, victims can file a complaint online with the FTC. The agency can use complaints to identify patterns of non-compliance and pursue enforcement action against platforms that fail to comply with their legal obligations. If an image reappears on a platform, you can submit a new removal request to the platform.
The FTC outlines the steps to follow to submit a report.
Federal Trade CommissionSexually explicit content involving minors is treated as child pornography and is subject to stricter legal requirements. It should also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cyberline. The FTC also encourages people who are aware of existing pornographic images of minors — whether photos of themselves, their children, or another vulnerable minor — to submit a request to NCMEC’s Take It Down service.
If a platform does not remove non-consensual intimate images, additional tools are available. One option is StopNCII.org, a system run in partnership with Revenge Porn Helpline that creates a digital fingerprint of an image on the user’s device so that participating platforms can detect it and prevent it from being uploaded again.
