Quick answer: Under the US Take It Down Act, covered online platforms must remove intimate images shared without consent, including identical copies, within 48 hours of a valid request. If a platform ignores you, report it to the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. The law is American, so readers elsewhere have other routes, covered below.
The FTC began enforcing the law on 19 May 2026, according to the FTC announcement. In early October 2026 it was still publishing guidance, including an alert on 23 September about what to do when a platform doesn’t act.
This is a sensitive topic. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services first. If you or a young person is being threatened or blackmailed over images, you’re not in trouble for asking for help, and the steps here are designed to be done privately.
What does the Take It Down Act require?
Platforms covered by the law must offer a way to ask for removal of non-consensual intimate photos or videos. Once they get a valid request, they have to take the content down, plus known identical copies, within 48 hours. The FTC enforces this.
The FTC’s reporting site also covers AI-generated deepfake intimate images, according to its page at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. That matters because a fake image of a real person can do the same damage as a real one.
When the rules came into force, the FTC sent compliance reminder letters to major companies including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Snap, Pinterest and X, as reported by GRC Report.
How do you get an image removed in the US?
- Save evidence first. Take screenshots of where the image appears, including the page address, the username that posted it and the date. Don’t share the image itself with anyone you don’t have to.
- Use the platform’s removal form. Look for a reporting option for non-consensual intimate imagery in the app or site’s help section. Note the date and time you submit it.
- Wait 48 hours. That’s the window the law gives platforms after a valid request.
- If nothing happens, report the platform to the FTC. Go to TakeItDown.ftc.gov and give the platform’s name, as much as you can about where the image was posted, and as much about yourself, or the person you’re reporting for, as you’re comfortable sharing.
- Consider reporting the person who posted it. The FTC’s site also points to support organizations and information on reporting to law enforcement.
The FTC’s own advice, from its 23 September alert, is that the report is about the platform’s failure to respond. It’s a complaint to the regulator rather than a legal case, so it won’t by itself give you compensation.
What if the image keeps reappearing on other sites?
Platforms only act on what they host. That’s the practical gap: copies can spread to sites that aren’t covered or don’t respond.
A free tool called StopNCII.org takes a different approach. It creates a digital fingerprint (a hash) of your image on your own device, so the picture itself never leaves your phone or computer. Participating platforms then look for matches and remove them. You get a case number and PIN to track progress, and you must save both because they can’t be recovered. The service only works with participating platforms, not the whole internet, according to StopNCII.org.
What can you do if you’re outside the US?
The Take It Down Act applies to US law, so don’t rely on the 48-hour rule if you live elsewhere. Large platforms often apply their own policies worldwide, though, so use their reporting forms anyway. Options by region:
| Region | Where to start |
|---|---|
| United States | Platform form, then TakeItDown.ftc.gov if it fails to act in 48 hours |
| Australia | The eSafety Commissioner’s image-based abuse report, which can help get content removed and, in some cases, act against the person who shared or threatened to share it. Open to people of any age. |
| Canada (under 18) | Cybertip.ca, run by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection |
| Anywhere | StopNCII.org for adults with images on their own device |
For the UK, Germany and the rest of the EU, we’d start with the platform’s own form, then StopNCII.org, then local police. We haven’t verified a single national removal service in those markets for this article, so check your own police or regulator’s site for current options.
If money or blackmail is involved, that’s a scam as well as an image problem. Our guide to where to report a scam lists reporting channels in five regions, and more advice sits in our Security section.
What should parents and teens know?
The FTC published an alert on 1 October 2026 about talking with parents and kids about deepfakes, online safety and the Take It Down Act. The core message from our reading: make it easy for a young person to tell you something has happened, and don’t punish them for it.
Practical points we’d add as editors, not as FTC guidance: keep screenshots rather than forwarding the image, avoid confronting the person who shared it before you’ve saved evidence, and report to the platform the same day. If someone is demanding money or more images, stop replying. Paying rarely makes it stop.
What are the limits of the law?
Three things to keep in mind. First, it covers platforms the Act applies to, not every site on the internet. Second, the 48 hours starts from a valid request, so a vague or incomplete report may not count. Third, the law deals with removal, not with punishing the person who shared the image. For that, you’d involve the police.
Trade coverage of the rollout also notes the technical burden on platforms: finding and deleting duplicate copies across several systems is hard for trust and safety teams. In practice that means results may vary between services, and it’s worth keeping records of every request you make.
Frequently asked questions
How long do platforms have to remove intimate images?
Under the Take It Down Act, 48 hours after receiving a valid removal request. That includes identical copies of the same content.
Does the law cover AI deepfakes?
The FTC’s reporting site says it covers AI-generated deepfake intimate images. If a fake image of you is being shared, report it the same way.
Does it cost anything to report to the FTC?
The FTC pages don’t mention any charge. TakeItDown.ftc.gov is the government’s own site, so be wary of anyone offering to “get your images removed” for a fee.
Will the FTC remove the image for me?
No. The report tells the FTC a platform isn’t complying, which is what it enforces. Removal itself comes from the platform, which is why you ask it first.
Can teenagers use these tools?
Yes. In Canada, Cybertip.ca specifically handles reports involving under-18s. The FTC published an alert on 1 October 2026 about talking with parents and kids about deepfakes and the Act.
Sources
- FTC: FTC Begins Enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act (19 May 2026)
- FTC Consumer Alerts: How to report a platform that doesn’t take down your intimate images
- FTC: TakeItDown.ftc.gov
- GRC Report: FTC Begins Enforcing Take It Down Act as Platforms Face 48-Hour Removal Mandate
- StopNCII.org: How it works
- eSafety Commissioner (Australia): Image-based abuse
- Cybertip.ca: Canada’s tipline for online child sexual exploitation