# The 'Take It Down Act' is Now in Effect: Reporting Non-Consensual Intimate Images Starting May 19th, tech platforms are required to offer avenues for reporting non-consensual intimate images and videos (NCII) uploaded to their services. This mandate stems from the **Take It Down Act**, a US law enacted last year with bipartisan support. The **Take It Down Act** applies broadly to various online services, including social media and gaming platforms, according to guidance from the **Federal Trade Commission (FTC)**, the agency responsible for enforcing compliance. ## Initial Responses from Tech Companies While many companies expressed support for the legislation, obtaining concrete details on how to file takedown requests proved challenging. Some provided links to updated support pages only after repeated inquiries. Notably, some platforms host their forms on third-party websites, potentially hindering accessibility. A spokesperson for **T-Mobile** clarified that the company supports the Act but does not operate the types of online platforms to which the act applies, focusing on wireless and broadband services (explicitly excluded by the Act). Several companies, including **X Corp.** (formerly **Twitter**), **Proton AG**, and **Verizon**, did not respond to requests for comment. **X Corp.** faced criticism earlier this year after its AI chatbot Grok generated and posted thousands of non-consensual images of women. The **FTC** guidelines emphasize the need for platforms to facilitate easy submission of removal requests. **Jennifer King**, a fellow at the **Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence**, highlights the importance of accessible reporting mechanisms, particularly for vulnerable users like teenagers. "The reporting piece of this is one of the most important pieces" of the **Take It Down Act**, says **Jennifer King**. “And it's the thing that the companies I think often overlook.” She also points out that many platforms don't test the reporting forms with younger users. ## How a Takedown Request Works **James Grimmelmann**, a law professor at **Cornell Law School** and **Cornell Tech**, outlines the basic requirements for a takedown request under the **Take It Down Act**. At minimum, a takedown request must include a means to locate the content (e.g., a link), a statement confirming the lack of consent, a signature from the individual depicted (or an authorized representative), and contact information. Upon submission, platforms have 48 hours to assess the validity of the request. If deemed valid, the reported content and any identical copies must be removed. Several major platforms utilize **StopNCII**, an industry tool maintained by a British nonprofit, that employs matching algorithms to identify abusive images and videos. **Reddit**, **TikTok**, **Snap**, **Microsoft Bing**, and **Meta**'s platforms (**Facebook**, **Instagram**, and **Threads**) are listed as participants. **Alejandro Cuevas**, a postdoctoral fellow at **Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy**, notes that some sites only provide an email address for takedown requests. In such cases, thorough documentation, including links to the content, is crucial. ## Platform-Specific Approaches ### Meta **Cindy Southworth**, **Meta**'s head of women safety, states that the company has been compliant for several months and provides help pages for submitting requests on **Facebook**, **Instagram**, and **Threads**. ### Microsoft **Microsoft** offers a "Report a Concern" form for takedown requests related to services like **Bing Search** and **OneDrive**. Users must identify the service and specify "Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery" as the concern type. **Brad Smith**, the vice chair and president of **Microsoft**, says in a statement that “President Trump’s signing of the **Take It Down Act** provides essential tools to prevent the misuse of technology and protect individuals from digital harm.” ### Google (Including YouTube) A **Google** spokesperson states the company has been investing in policies to combat NCII since 2015. **Google** offers a dedicated takedown request form and a separate form for **YouTube**-specific requests. ### Reddit **Reddit** spokesperson **Jen Molina** says that **Reddit** was an early supporter of the **Take It Down Act** and that it has “updated our systems to ensure full compliance with the Act’s specific requirements as they go into effect.” Logged-in users can report individual posts, and **Reddit** added a reporting form and information article to help with the process.