The short answer
Three free tools do most of the work: StopNCII.org hashes your images so partner platforms block them; the federal Take It Down Act requires platforms to remove reported non-consensual intimate imagery within 48 hours; and Google's dedicated form removes results from search. Nonprofit helplines walk you through all of it at no cost.
The three tools to use first (all free)
- StopNCII.org — block it across platforms at once. StopNCII, run by the UK's Revenge Porn Helpline, creates a digital fingerprint (hash) of your images on your device — the images never leave your phone. Partner platforms (including the major social networks) use the hashes to block and remove matching uploads. It works for images you fear will be shared, not just ones already posted. If you're under 18, use NCMEC's Take It Down service instead, which is built for minors.
- The Take It Down Act — the 48-hour rule. As of the federal Take It Down Act (signed May 2025), platforms operating in the US must remove reported non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI deepfakes, within 48 hours of a valid report, with FTC enforcement behind it (19th News explainer; FTC consumer guidance). Practically: find the platform's NCII/intimate-image report form (they are now required to have one), file, and cite the Act. Keep screenshots of the report and the URLs.
- Google's removal form — get it out of search. Google removes non-consensual explicit imagery from search results via a dedicated request form. This doesn't delete the source page, but it removes the way most people would ever find it. Bing has an equivalent process.
People who will help you for free
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. US nonprofit; operates the Image Abuse Helpline (online) with step-by-step help — cybercivilrights.org.
- Revenge Porn Helpline. UK; the organization behind StopNCII — revengepornhelpline.org.uk.
- Without My Consent. A thorough self-help legal guide — the take-down guide.
- Legal aid explainers. Guides like PTLA's cover state-law options; most US states criminalize non-consensual distribution.
- FBI IC3. Report sextortion at ic3.gov — removal demands paired with money demands are extortion, a federal crime; don't pay, report.
If the images are your own content that leaked
One case sits between NCII and piracy: content you created and sold (on OnlyFans or similar) that someone redistributed. Consent to a paying subscriber is not consent to the internet — but the strongest removal tool in this case is usually copyright, because you own the content and every repost is infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 512. DMCA notices compel hosts and search engines in ways NCII reports sometimes can't, and both routes can run in parallel. That enforcement is what Fanlock does day in and day out; if that's your situation, our guide to removing leaked content covers the copyright route, and the tools above still apply on top.
What to do in the first hour
1. Don't pay anyone. Extortion demands continue after payment. Report to IC3 instead.
2. Screenshot everything — URLs, usernames, timestamps — before filing reports (pages disappear once reported, and you may need evidence later).
3. Hash your images at StopNCII so re-uploads get blocked platform-side.
4. File platform reports citing the Take It Down Act's 48-hour requirement.
5. File Google's form so search stops surfacing it.
6. Call a helpline if it's overwhelming. It's what they're for, and they're good.
FAQ
Is revenge porn illegal?
Distribution of non-consensual intimate images is a crime in most US states and the UK, and the federal Take It Down Act adds criminal penalties and a platform removal requirement (19th News).
Does the Take It Down Act cover deepfakes?
Yes — AI-generated intimate imagery of an identifiable person is covered, same 48-hour removal requirement.
Can I get images removed without a lawyer?
Usually yes. StopNCII, platform NCII forms, and Google's form are all free and self-service, and the nonprofit helplines walk you through them at no cost.
What if the site ignores my report?
Escalate: report the site to its hosting provider, use Google's form so search stops showing it, and get a helpline or lawyer involved. If the content is something you created, the DMCA route adds legal force platforms can't ignore as easily.
Sources
All sources checked live July 2026.
- StopNCII.org — Hash-based blocking, run by the Revenge Porn Helpline (SWGfL).
- 19th News — "Take It Down Act: how to use it" — Plain-English explainer of the 2025 federal law.
- FTC — "Image-Based Abuse: What To Know and Do" — The enforcing agency's own consumer guidance.
- Google — Remove personal sexual content from Search
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative — Image Abuse Helpline.
- Revenge Porn Helpline (UK)
- Without My Consent — Take Down guide
- PTLA — How to delete revenge porn — State-law overview.
- FBI IC3 — Sextortion reporting.
- 17 U.S.C. § 512 (law.cornell.edu) — The copyright/DMCA route.
Where Fanlock fits
If your own paid content is what leaked, Fanlock can carry the copyright side: automatic DMCA removal across Google, Bing, Yahoo, Telegram, and leak sites, filed under our name so yours stays off public records. The free scan shows you what's out there; no card required. For everything else on this page, the free tools above are the right first move.
About Zander Small
co-founder of Fanlock
Zander Small is a co-founder of Fanlock and the engineer who built its detection and takedown system. He's a creator himself, with a following of around 2 million, and started Fanlock after seeing how hard it is for creators to get stolen content removed and keep it down. He writes about how DMCA enforcement actually works in practice, across search, social, Telegram, and piracy sites. More about the Fanlock team →