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Imagine discovering that someone has posted an explicit photo of you online—without your consent. Or that an AI-generated “deepfake” of your face has been used in a pornographic video. These situations, once the stuff of nightmares, are now common realities in the digital age. But with the passing of the Take It Down Act, survivors of this kind of exploitation finally have a powerful new tool on their side.
What is the Take It Down Act?
Signed into law in May 2025, the Take It Down Act requires online platforms to swiftly remove explicit images or videos that are shared without a person’s consent. This includes real images, revenge porn, and even deepfakes—AI-generated content that places someone’s likeness into a sexually explicit situation they never consented to.
The name says it all: this law forces platforms to take it down—and do so within 48 hours of a victim’s request. No more endless back-and-forth with tech companies. No more waiting weeks while harmful content spreads across the internet. Survivors finally have a path to faster, federally backed relief.
Why This Law Matters
This legislation is a major milestone in protecting people—especially women, girls, and marginalized communities—who are disproportionately targeted by online abuse.
Here’s why the Take It Down Act is such a big deal:
- It treats digital sexual abuse like the serious harm it is.
Until now, there hasn’t been a national process for dealing with these violations. This law creates one.
- It holds tech companies accountable.
Platforms will no longer be able to ignore takedown requests or hide behind vague policies.
- It covers AI-generated content.
Deepfakes are a growing threat, and this law explicitly includes them in its protections.
What You Can Do Right Now
Even though platforms have up to a year to create formal systems for this process, you don’t have to wait to act. If you or someone you know is being harmed by non-consensual intimate imagery:
- Save evidence but do not share it. Take screenshots, write down URLs, and keep any messages that show what’s been shared. Do not forward the image or share it anywhere even to ask for help unless you are directed by law enforcement. By sharing, you could be committing a crime.
- Report the content. Use the platform’s existing reporting tools to ask for the post to be taken down. Some sites already comply voluntarily.
- Reach out for support. Organizations like Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and Without My Consent offer free resources and guidance.
- Consider legal help. Depending on where you live, state laws may already offer protection or recourse.
You can also file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if platforms aren’t responding appropriately.
You Deserve to Be Safe Online
No one should have to fight alone to get explicit content of themselves removed from the internet. The Take It Down Act is an acknowledgment that digital privacy is a human right—and that survivors of online abuse deserve justice, speed, and compassion.
