Send a valid request through the platform’s process
The TAKE IT DOWN Act requires covered platforms to remove qualifying nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of receiving a valid request. Use the platform’s notice-and-removal process, identify the content, confirm the lack of consent, sign, and keep a dated receipt.
The 48-hour rule applies to valid NCII requests
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act’s platform duties on May 19, 2026. A covered platform must remove qualifying nonconsensual intimate imagery within 48 hours of receiving a valid request and make reasonable efforts to identify and remove known identical copies. This includes qualifying digital forgeries. This is not a general DMCA deadline or a guarantee that every edited copy will disappear. Read the statute and FTC guidance.
Valid-request checklist
Section 3 of the Act specifies the request requirements. The person depicted, or someone authorized to act on their behalf, can submit.
- Identify yourself and your authority. Provide a physical or electronic signature. A representative should explain who they act for and supply authorization if requested.
- Identify the depiction and its location. Supply enough information for the platform to locate the image or video, such as exact post or message URLs. Include the account link as supporting context rather than relying on it alone.
- State your good-faith belief about consent. Explain that the platform shared the depiction without the identifiable individual’s consent. Keep the description factual. Do not label every commercial-content repost as automatically eligible; the statutory definitions and the facts matter.
- Provide contact information. Give an email address or other information the platform can use to contact the individual or authorized representative.
- Submit and save the receipt. Record the platform, submitted URLs, time zone, submission timestamp, and request ID. The clock starts when the platform receives a valid request, rather than when you first discover the image.
- Check and escalate. Check the reported URL and known identical copies after the deadline. If the platform fails to act, or provides no reporting process, submit a complaint through TakeItDown.ftc.gov with the receipt and relevant links.
Find the platform’s reporting route
| Platform | Official starting point |
|---|---|
| Intimate-image reporting help; use the platform’s current NCII/TAKE IT DOWN process | |
| X | US TAKE IT DOWN Act request guidance |
| TikTok | Sexual abuse support and reporting |
| Nonconsensual intimate-media policy and reporting | |
| Telegram | @TIDABot, linked from Telegram’s TAKE IT DOWN guidance; include exact message links |
Forms can change. Use the platform’s published process and retain its response. A copyright inbox alone may not route an intimate-image request correctly.
Known identical copies and edited versions
The statute requires reasonable efforts to identify and remove known identical copies within the same 48-hour period. An altered crop, a newly generated image, or a repost on another platform may need its own report. Keep separate evidence for changed versions and avoid treating one successful removal as proof that all copies are gone.
The Act, NCMEC Take It Down, and StopNCII are different
The Act creates legal duties for covered platforms. NCMEC Take It Down and StopNCII offer hash-based tools with their own eligibility rules. You can use an eligible hashing tool alongside a removal request. See our NCII help guide for those options.
Common questions
Does the Act cover AI deepfakes?
It includes qualifying digital forgeries of an identifiable person. An ordinary non-intimate edit or a generic AI character does not qualify solely because it uses AI. Review the statutory definitions and the actual image.
Is the deadline 48 business hours?
Section 3 specifies 48 hours after receipt of a valid request, without describing them as business hours. Keep the submission time and time zone so the interval is clear.
Is every leaked OnlyFans post covered?
Do not assume that. Eligibility depends on the depiction, consent, the law’s definitions, and the circumstances. Copyright reporting may also apply where the creator owns the copied work. Get legal advice for uncertain claims.
Does an FTC complaint guarantee removal?
No. It gives the FTC information about possible platform noncompliance. Keep pursuing the platform’s report process and other eligible routes; the FTC does not promise a particular outcome for your complaint.
Primary sources
Last reviewed October 13, 2026. This guide provides general information; a lawyer can assess your circumstances.
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About Zander Small
co-founder of Fanlock
Zander Small co-founded Fanlock with Morgpie. He works on creator content detection and removal workflows. This article is general information, not legal advice. Meet the team.