If someone has posted intimate pictures or videos of you online, you now have stronger legal tools to compel platforms to remove them, regardless of whether the media is authentic or an AI-generated deepfake. 

Tuesday marks the start of full enforcement of the Take It Down Act, which legally requires online platforms -- social media, messaging, and image-sharing or video-sharing apps -- to implement processes for removing such material in response to valid takedown requests.

Signed into law in 2025, the Take It Down Act was written in response to the increased proliferation of AI-generated and digitally manipulated sexual images. The law, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, also applies to authentic nonconsensual intimate imagery shared online.

The FTC isn't directly responsible for the content removal. Affected individuals must first report the images to the platform administrator via the platform's on-site tools. The agency will collect reports about platforms that do not comply with the law's removal requirements, and may use those reports to support enforcement.

The FTC allows individuals to report nonconsensual intimate imagery involving themselves or their children. Reports may also be submitted on a victim's behalf with their consent.

The agency also recommends reporting such incidents to local law enforcement and the FBI's online tipline when appropriate.

FTC representatives pointed CNET to its press release and didn't comment further.

How to file a Take It Down request

If someone has shared nonconsensual 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 X, you can usually tap the three-dot menu on a post to access reporting options and select a category related to nonconsensual or sexually explicit imagery.

Every platform should have similar reporting tools. The new legislation mandates that the platform must remove the images within 48 hours of a valid report.

If a platform fails to act on a report of nonconsensual intimate imagery, or if reporting tools are unavailable or malfunctioning, victims can file a complaint with the FTC online. The agency may use complaints to identify patterns of noncompliance and pursue enforcement actions against platforms that fail to meet their legal obligations. If an image reappears on a platform, you can submit a new takedown request to the platform.

Sexually explicit material involving minors is treated as child sexual abuse material and is subject to stricter legal requirements. It should also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline. The FTC also encourages people who know about existing pornographic images of minors -- whether they be pictures of themselves, their children or another vulnerable minor -- to submit a request with the NCMEC's own Take It Down service.

If a platform doesn't remove nonconsensual intimate imagery, additional tools are available. One option is StopNCII.org, a system run in partnership with the Revenge Porn Helpline that creates a digital fingerprint of an image on the user's device so participating platforms can detect and block it from being uploaded again.