The Take It Down Act is now fully in effect. By the end of the day Tuesday, social media platforms are required to have a process to request the removal of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes and so-called “revenge porn.”

The bipartisan law broadly applies to platforms that share images, like Instagram, Reddit, Flickr and even dating apps like Bumble. There must be a plain-language form for anyone or authorized representative to report nonconsensual images of themselves. Platforms then must remove the content within 48 hours and inform the person about removal progress.

Companies that don’t comply could face enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, which can fine them $53,088 per violation.

When President Donald Trump signed the law last year, it immediately became a federal crime to distribute nonconsensual intimate imagery, which can include images originally shared privately with consent but then published elsewhere. Threats to release explicit images are also punishable by jail time, fines or a combination thereof.

With the Take It Down Act now fully in effect, The 19th explains how it is implemented and how to request the takedown of explicit images created or shared without permission. 

When does the Take It Down Act go into effect?

Both parts of the Take It Down Act are in effect. It is a crime to distribute nonconsensual intimate images, and online platforms are required to have a process to request their removal in place by the end of the day on May 19, 2026.

What has happened in the last year?

The criminal provisions of the law went into effect in May 2025, and the first conviction came down in April 2026. An Ohio man pleaded guilty to counts of “cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries.” He harassed at least six women with AI-generated deepfakes, distributed a sexually explicit deepfake video of a woman to her co-workers, and blackmailed several mothers by threatening to release nonconsensual deepfakes of their daughters. He also created and shared AI-generated child sexual abuse material of boys in his community online.

That there has only been a single prosecution is telling of how long federal cases take, rather than something amiss with the law itself, according to Stefan Turkheimer, the vice president of public policy at RAINN, a national organization against sexual abuse that advocated heavily for its passage.

He thinks that the Take It Down Act has created more stigma around engaging in image-based sexual abuse as the public becomes aware of the consequences. Surveyed self-reported perpetrators of image-based sexual abuse reported jail time as the strongest deterrent, per a 2017 report by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline, run by RAINN, has seen an increase in two types of image-based sexual abuse, Turkheimer said. Reports of survivors having to deal with images of their assault being shared has grown over the past five or six years. And before the Take It Down Act was introduced, the number of callers reporting deepfake abuse had started to climb.

With all provisions of the law now in effect, RAINN is investing in creating resources to help survivors navigate takedown requests, whether they call the hotline or are just searching online for assistance. The nonprofit has a guide available for survivors trying to remove their images or learn more about potential legal action.

What kinds of images are covered by the Take It Down Act?

The law is meant to narrowly cover sexually explicit images that have either been shared without the subject’s consent or images that have been created without the consent of the subject, such as with generative AI or through media manipulation.

The definition of sexually explicit content builds on previous federal code, and includes “the uncovered genitals, pubic area, anus or post-pubescent female nipple of an identifiable individual;” the “display or transfer of bodily sexual fluids;” graphic sexual intercourse; bestiality; masturbation; sadistic or masochistic abuse; and “graphic or simulated lascivious exhibition” of anuses, genitals or the pubic area.

Synthetic images, or “digital forgeries” as the bill labels them, must be of “indistinguishable from an authentic visual depiction” of an identifiable individual.

The law also covers authentic images originally shared consensually that have then been shared beyond what the subject intended. For instance, someone can use the Take It Down Act  if they shared a nude image with a partner in the context of that relationship, and then after breaking up the ex-partner posted the image to social media without permission.

The definition is tailored to not apply to all digital forgeries, even ones that might seem explicit on the surface. For instance, advocates have pointed out that the viral fake video of Trump licking Elon Musk’s feet wouldn’t necessarily qualify for removal or prosecution under the Take It Down Act. 

Are major platforms complying with the law?

Ahead of the May 19 enforcement deadline, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent letters to popular platforms reminding them of their obligations under the Take It Down Act. 

Many companies had some way of requesting that nonconsensual explicit images be removed prior to the passage of Take It Down, but the process could range from filling out a specialized form to reaching out to a specific email.

The 19th reached out to over a dozen social media and similar companies, including all of the ones contacted by the FTC, to ask about how they are complying with the law. They were asked whether a new takedown process was created; if one already existed, were any changes made; and for the current link to the takedown request form. 

Spokespersons for Grindr and Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr, each said they were working to become compliant with Take It Down’s requirement before the deadline. Snap, the owner of SnapChat, only reiterated support for the law generally, but like the other two companies did not answer the other questions.

Bumble, Google, Microsoft, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube shared the links to their reporting forms. 

Discord’s new reporting process, now compliant with the Take It Down Act, went live on April 6, a company spokesperson said.

“Reddit maintains a strict, platform-wide prohibition against non-consensual intimate imagery, which we enforce at scale through a combination of sophisticated automated tooling and dedicated safety teams,” a company spokesperson said. “This includes participation in cross-industry efforts like StopNCII to help alleviate reporting pressure on victims.” A form that complies with Take It Down’s requirements is live.

“We’ve long fought intimate image abuse on our platforms, from removing this content and the accounts behind it, to helping develop tools that can prevent it spreading online, and taking legal action against companies advertising nudify apps,” said Cindy Southworth, head of women’s safety at Meta, adding that the company was already complying. 

A specific Take It Down Act form appears either before or after a user opts to report content, depending on the Meta product. The company operates the popular platforms Instagram and Facebook. Specific per-app reporting instructions are available on Meta’s help center.

PornHub provided an extensive response detailing how their reporting process goes above and beyond the requirements set forth by the Take It Down Act. The Internet Archive shows a takedown request form for the porn “tube site” since at least 2015. Users can also flag any videos they suspect of violating the site’s terms of service. 

PornHub has been criticized for hosting nonconsensual intimate imagery and has taken steps to address this in recent years. In December 2020, PornHub deleted almost all of its content and required performers to upload verified identification after a New York Times story detailing the presence of child sexual abuse material on the site. The site, owned by parent company Aylo, has increased measures to prevent the uploading of illegal content over the past several years. Now all performers are required to upload identification and consent forms. 

Amazon, Apple, Match Group, SmugMug and X did not respond.

What will happen if a covered platform doesn’t have a compliant takedown request process?

Anyone can report platforms that fail to remove nonconsensual intimate imagery within 48 hours through an online Federal Trade Commission form.

The FTC announced that it will “vigorously enforce” the Take It Down Act. The agency can institute civil penalties of $53,088 per violation. 

The FTC had no comment when asked by The 19th about an enforcement timeline.

What other help is available?

The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, a nonprofit fighting online abuse, operates a free 24/7 hotline to assist victims of image-based sexual abuse at 1-844-878-2274. Their Safety Center also maintains a list of experienced attorneys and individual state laws. As of May 2026, all states and the District of Columbia have some form of law banning image-based sexual abuse, though there are significant variances in the circumstances and types of media covered.

How should I document image-based sexual abuse of myself for record-keeping or potential legal action?

The first step is to make sure you are physically safe, as image-based sexual abuse is frequently an escalation of intimate partner violence. Help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline online or through their free 24/7 phone line at 1-800-799-7233.

The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative recommends documenting evidence of abuse, including screenshots or PDFs of online search results or websites. They suggest keeping both digital and physical copies (e.g. printouts) of evidence, and saving other relevant documents like text messages or emails.

Omny Miranda Martone, the founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association, recommends taking screenshots with URLs, the username of the poster, the date and the time the nonconsensual content was shared. Documentation is critical, they said, for pursuing criminal or civil action.

Make sure to only collect documentation of digital sexual violence that depicts you or someone who has authorized collection on their behalf explicitly in writing, Martone said. They also suggest storing evidence in a secure cloud folder or encrypted drive.

Major websites and image-hosting platforms have ways to request image takedowns for emergencies such as these. CCRI has a short list of contacts for major search engines, social media platforms, dating services and pornography sites.

If images you took of yourself have been posted without your consent, filing a copyright claim is another option. Without My Consent, now part of CCRI, has a resource all about filing Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown requests. 

“No one should have to go through this alone,” Martone said, recommending that victims reach out to a victims’ right attorney or advocacy organization for help navigating processes safely and confidentially. In a rapidly-changing legal landscape, “talking to a professional will ensure you receive up to date information and guidance.”

What if the images are of a minor?

The Take It Down Act has stronger penalties for images involving a minor. In general, federal and state laws treat explicit images of minors differently, as real images are child sexual abuse material — formally known in most legal code as child pornography — and carry severe penalties. Many states also outlaw specifically AI-generated child abuse material.

There are specific, dedicated resources to assist victims of child sexual abuse material.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is authorized and funded by Congress, maintains a CyberTipline to report incidents of child exploitation. Anyone can report to the tipline, and the organization also maintains a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-843-5678.

Take It Down, an initiative from NCMEC that is unaffiliated with the bill of the same name, provides services to anyone who needs assistance removing child sexual abuse material of themselves from the internet. 

What might prevent the Take It Down act from being enforced?

The law could be challenged in court on grounds that it infringes on the First Amendment. Digital rights groups have criticized the request-and-removal provision of the bill, calling it overbroad and a threat to free speech. 

Most major tech companies endorsed the law and have made public statements in support of it. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas who was the driving force behind the law, is the chair of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee which weighs in on potential tech regulation. He is also a close ally of the Trump administration.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a tech policy think tank, argues that the takedown provision could apply to consensual sexual images as well. It is one of several groups that have highlighted how the request-and-removal process could be ripe for abuse, especially given that the 48-hour timeline may not provide covered platforms with enough time to verify that the content is nonconsensual. 

The Center for Democracy and Technology sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, urging members to amend the bill to explicitly exclude encrypted services, fearing that platforms will need access to private messages in order to comply with the takedown requests. 

Trump’s assertion that he would use the Take It Down Act for himself — “nobody is treated worse online than I am, nobody” he said during his address to the joint session of Congress last March — made activists worry that the bill could be used to remove critical political speech, especially in the context of a wider crackdown by the current administration. 

There may also be some issues with enforcing the request-and-removal requirement, which falls to the Federal Trade Commission. An executive order threatens the independence of the agency, and Trump fired the two Democratic Commissioners without cause, which the Supreme Court has previously ruled the president cannot do. The removed commissioners sued Trump, and the Supreme Court heard arguments in December. The justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines to allow the firing to hold while the case proceeds.

The FTC created a resource around Take It Down Act compliance, and proactively reached out to companies to remind them of the enforcement deadline. 

However, when The 19th reached out to the agency to ask about a potential timeline for cracking down on companies that don’t have compliant processes, a spokesperson replied with no comment.

What else should victims know?

Martone also shared some words for anyone being targeted with image-based sexual abuse. 

“Please know you are not alone, and this is not your fault,” Martone said. “What’s happening to you is a violation — it’s digital sexual violence — and you deserve justice, safety and support.”

Martone speaks from experience as a survivor of sexual violence, including deepfake abuse. They have been instrumental in advocating for the Take It Down Act and related laws.

“There is hope. Your voice matters,” Martone said. “You are not powerless — and together, we will make sure our laws catch up to protect you.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly stated the Take It Down Act criminalized more activities beyond publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery or the nonconsensual distribution of intimate imagery.