Your rights under the Take It Down Act

Who can submit a removal request

A removal request may be submitted by the individual depicted in the imagery or by an authorized representative acting on that individual's behalf. Authorized representatives include parents or legal guardians for victims who are minors, attorneys retained by the victim, and other agents with documented authority to act on the victim's behalf.

You do not need to hold an account on the platform hosting the content. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance specifically directs covered platforms to provide a removal-request pathway that is accessible to non-account holders.

What a valid removal request must contain

Section 3 of the Act sets out the elements a removal request must include for a platform to be required to act. Although platforms may design their own request forms, every valid request must contain the following.

1. A physical or electronic signature of the individual depicted, or an authorized representative.
2. Identification of, and information reasonably sufficient for the platform to locate, the intimate visual depiction or digital forgery at issue. A direct URL is the most reliable identifier.
3. A brief statement that the individual depicted has a good-faith belief that the depiction was published without their consent.
4. Contact information sufficient for the platform to communicate with the requester, such as an email address or a postal address.

Knowingly false statements in a removal request may carry legal consequences. Submit your request truthfully and keep a copy of everything you send.

The removal process step by step

1. Locate the platform's TIDA process. Covered platforms are required to provide a clear and conspicuous notice describing how to submit a removal request. Look for a link in the site footer, in the help center, or directly on the post or content page itself.
2. Document the content before reporting. Take dated screenshots that include the URL and any identifying information about the account that posted the content. Preserve this record in case you later pursue criminal charges or a civil action.
3. Submit the removal request. Complete the platform's form or send the required information directly. Use the elements listed in the prior section. Save the confirmation page or tracking number the platform provides.
4. Track the 48-hour window. Federal law requires the platform to remove the reported content as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours after receipt of a valid request. The platform must also make reasonable efforts to identify and remove known identical copies within the same window.
5. Verify removal. After the 48-hour window closes, confirm that the reported URL and any duplicates you are aware of have been taken down. If they have not, proceed to the next section.

If a platform does not comply

If a covered platform refuses to act on a valid removal request, fails to act within 48 hours, or provides no functioning removal-request process at all, the platform may be in violation of federal law. You have several available options.

1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC enforces Section 3 of the Take It Down Act. Complaints may be filed at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
2. Report criminal conduct to law enforcement. The publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery is a federal crime under Section 2 of the Act. The FBI accepts tips at tips.fbi.gov and through its Internet Crime Complaint Center.
3. Consult an attorney. A lawyer can advise you on civil claims, evidence preservation, and coordination with criminal authorities. Many state bar associations operate referral services for survivors of image-based abuse.

Protective resources outside the Act

Two non-governmental services, recommended by the FTC in its compliance guidance, allow victims to proactively prevent the spread of known intimate imagery across multiple platforms using cryptographic hashes. Submitting an image to one of these services does not upload the image itself; the service computes a fingerprint that participating platforms then use to block matching content.

For victims under 18, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children operates Take It Down. For victims 18 and older, StopNCII.org provides an equivalent service. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, RAINN, operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 1-800-656-4673.