Published on: September 24, 2026
An ATIXA Tip of the Week in Collaboration with the Bureau of Consumer Protection Staff, Federal Trade Commission
National Campus Safety Awareness Month is a good time to remind students, parents, and faculty where to go for help dealing with deepfakes and image-based abuse. Having intimate photos or videos shared online without consent can be stressful and overwhelming, and it can be especially difficult for students. These images can spread quickly and cause real and lasting harm. That’s why Congress passed the Take It Down Act, and why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is holding platforms accountable under the law.
The Take It Down Act requires platforms like social media, messaging, and image or video sharing apps and sites to offer a way for users to request the removal of intimate photos or videos shared online without their consent. But that’s not all. Platforms must remove the intimate photos or videos, and known identical copies, within 48 hours of the request. The law applies to real and digitally altered images, as well as deepfakes created with artificial intelligence (AI).
The following are steps for students and other individuals to take if someone has shared, or threatened to share, an intimate photo or video without their consent.
- Ask the platform to Take It Down. Only platforms can actually remove intimate photos and videos shared without your consent, but it’s the FTC’s job to make sure those platforms are complying with the Take It Down Act.
- Tell the FTC. If the platform doesn’t take the image or video down (or identical copies) within 48 hours, report it to the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. If you can’t find the platform’s removal request process or if it’s broken, report them. You can also submit a report on behalf of someone else if they’ve given you permission. Every report counts and helps the FTC hold platforms accountable.
- Take steps to help limit the spread. If you’re an adult and have a copy of the image, use StopNCII.org, a free global tool. To help limit the spread of an image of a minor, use the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC’s) Take It Down service.
- Report the perpetrator. Report perpetrators to local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) online at tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), or visit an FBI field office.
- Contact your Title IX office. Students and other school community members should be encouraged to contact the Title IX Office or Title IX Coordinator, as image-based abuse may implicate sex discrimination or violate the institution’s policies. The Title IX Coordinator can help assess what institutional processes, supportive measures, and other resources may be available.
Here’s additional FTC guidance on what to do when nonconsensual intimate images are posted.
This National Campus Safety Awareness Month, share what you know about the Take It Down Act with your colleagues, administrators, and student groups. As you’re spreading the word, use the FTC’s Take It Down social media toolkit, or download and print the Take It Down infographic and post it on campus to share with others. Knowing about the Take It Down Act and the appropriate steps to take helps us all to be better equipped to deal with image-based abuse.