The TAKE IT DOWN Act Explained: Your 48-Hour Removal Rights

Last checked: Oct 12, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

If this is happening to you right now: you don't have to handle it alone. In the US, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative's 24/7 Image Abuse Helpline is 844-878-2274 (cybercivilrights.org). If the images show someone under 18, go to takeitdown.ncmec.org or report to NCMEC's CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678. If you're in immediate danger, call 911.

Since May 19, 2026, websites and apps covered by a federal law called the TAKE IT DOWN Act must remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours of a valid request. That includes real photos and AI-made fakes (FTC). This post explains what the law says, what counts as a valid request, and what to do if a platform doesn't act.

#The law in four sentences

The TAKE IT DOWN Act (Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act) was signed on May 19, 2025 (FTC). It does two separate things. First, it makes it a federal crime to knowingly publish intimate images of someone without consent, including "digital forgeries" such as AI deepfakes (Congress.gov, S.146). Second, it requires covered platforms to run a notice-and-removal process and take reported images down within 48 hours. Platforms had a year to comply, and the FTC started enforcing that part on May 19, 2026 (FTC).

#Part 1: The criminal side

The Act added federal penalties for knowingly publishing non-consensual intimate images, real or AI-generated. Penalties go up to 2 years in prison when the image is of an adult, and up to 3 years when it's of a minor, plus fines (Congress.gov, S.146). Threatening to publish such images is also covered.

You don't need to bring a criminal case to use the removal process in Part 2. If you want to report the person who posted the images, you can contact local police or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). An advocate (see the resources below) can help you decide whether and how to do that.

#Part 2: Your removal rights

#Which platforms have to comply?

"Covered platforms" are public websites, apps and online services that mainly host user-generated content, such as social media, messaging, image and video sharing, and gaming platforms (FTC business guidance). Sites that regularly publish non-consensual intimate content are also covered. In May 2026, the FTC's chairman wrote to Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Automattic, Bumble, Discord, Match Group, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, SmugMug, Snapchat, TikTok and X reminding them to comply (FTC press release).

The FTC has also sent warning letters to 12 companies offering so-called "nudify" tools, saying they appeared to be violating the law by not offering a removal process (FTC, May 20, 2026).

#What platforms must do

• Offer a clear, conspicuous, plain-language process for removal requests (FTC).
• Remove the image within 48 hours of a valid request.
• Make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies within the same 48 hours. You don't have to report each copy yourself (FTC).

#What makes a request "valid"

Under the Act, your request should be in writing and include (Congress.gov, S.146; FTC):

1. Your physical or electronic signature. Typing your name usually counts as an electronic signature.
2. Enough information to find the image, such as the link (URL), username, or post ID.
3. A brief statement that you believe in good faith the image was published without your consent, with any relevant information.
4. Your contact information so the platform can reach you.

You can also make the request on someone's behalf if you're authorized to act for them.

#A sample request

Here's how a request might read, using a fictional person. Adjust it to the platform's form.

Subject: TAKE IT DOWN Act removal request

I am requesting removal of an intimate image of me published without my consent, under Section 3 of the TAKE IT DOWN Act.

Location: https://example.com/post/48213 (posted by user "x_example_22")

Statement: I believe in good faith that this intimate image was published without my consent. [Optional: It is an AI-generated image made from a photo on my public profile.]

Contact: Jordan Lee, jordan.lee@example.com, (555) 555-0148

Signature: /Jordan Lee/ Date: Oct 12, 2026

Keep it factual. You don't need to explain your relationship to the person who posted it, or justify how the image was made or shared.

#Step by step: what to do

1. Save evidence first, carefully. Take screenshots showing the image's URL, the account that posted it and the date, but don't download or share the explicit image itself, especially if it involves a minor. NCMEC specifically asks people not to send, share or download images to submit to Take It Down. Store screenshots somewhere private.
2. Use the platform's removal process. Look for a link like "Report non-consensual intimate content" or "TAKE IT DOWN request" in the help center or report menu. Include all four elements above.
3. Note the time. Write down when you sent the request. The 48-hour clock is your benchmark.
4. Block future uploads. Create a hash with StopNCII.org (if you were 18 or over in the image) or Take It Down from NCMEC (if you were under 18 in it, even if you're an adult now). Your image never leaves your device; only a digital fingerprint is shared with participating platforms (StopNCII; NCMEC).
5. Remove it from Google Search too. Google has a request form for non-consensual explicit images, including fake ones (Google Search Help). This removes search results, not the page, so do it alongside step 2.
6. If 48 hours pass with no action, report the platform to the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. The FTC also accepts reports about platforms that have no removal process at all (FTC). Violations can lead to civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation (FTC).

#What the law doesn't do

• It doesn't cover every site. Sites outside the US, or that aren't "covered platforms," may not comply. For those, Google removal and hashing tools still help.
• It doesn't promise the image vanishes everywhere. Platforms must remove known identical copies, but edited or cropped versions may need separate reports.
• It doesn't remove your contact details. If your name, address or phone number were posted alongside the image, use doxxing-removal options and people-search opt-outs too. Our Google removal guide and Whitepages guide cover two common places, and the pillar guide, how to remove your personal information from the internet, covers the rest.

For AI-generated images specifically, see our step-by-step guide: how to get AI deepfake nudes removed.

#Where to get support

• Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Image Abuse Helpline: 844-878-2274 (24/7, US) for support and referrals. cybercivilrights.org
• NCMEC Take It Down: takeitdown.ncmec.org, for images taken when you were under 18. CyberTipline: 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org.
• StopNCII.org: for adults, to hash images and block uploads on partner platforms.
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673, or text HOPE to 64673.
• VictimConnect Resource Center: call or text 1-855-484-2846 for referrals for crime victims.

What happened isn't your fault, regardless of how the image was made or who you shared it with.

#Sources

1. Congress.gov, S.146, TAKE IT DOWN Act (119th Congress), enrolled text. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/146/text
2. FTC, "Take It Down Act enforcement starts now" (May 19, 2026). https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2026/05/take-it-down-act-enforcement-starts-now-what-know-about-ftc-tida
3. FTC press release, "FTC Begins Enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act" (May 19, 2026). https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/05/ftc-begins-enforcing-take-it-down-act
4. FTC, "Complying With the Take It Down Act." https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-take-it-down-act
5. FTC press release, warning letters to "nudify" companies (May 20, 2026). https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/05/ftc-sends-warning-letters-companies-about-compliance-take-it-down-act
6. FTC complaint site. https://takeitdown.ftc.gov/
7. NCMEC, Take It Down and FAQ. https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/ · https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/faq/
8. StopNCII.org FAQ. https://stopncii.org/faq/
9. Google Search Help, "Remove personal sexual content from Google Search." https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9116649
10. Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Crisis Helpline. https://cybercivilrights.org/ccri-crisis-helpline/
11. RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline. https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/
12. VictimConnect Resource Center. https://victimconnect.org/get-help/
13. NCMEC CyberTipline. https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline

Jordan Lee and the example details are fictional.