You Can Get Some of Your Nudes Removed From the Internet Under a New Law

Key Points:

• Starting May 19, the US Take It Down Act requires tech platforms, including social media and gaming apps, to provide accessible ways for users to report nonconsensual intimate images and videos (NCII) uploaded without consent.
• Despite bipartisan support and a year-long compliance window, many companies have been slow or unclear in setting up user-friendly takedown request systems, with some only launching forms on the enforcement date or hosting them on third-party sites.
• The law mandates that takedown requests include a link to the content, a statement of nonconsent, a signature from the depicted person or authorized representative, and contact information; platforms then have 48 hours to validate and remove the content and its copies.
• Major platforms like Meta, Microsoft, Google, Reddit, TikTok, Snap, LinkedIn, Epic Games, Roblox, and Bumble have publicly supported the law and offer various reporting tools, though accessibility and clarity vary, with experts emphasizing the need for user-friendly forms, especially for younger victims.
• Some companies, including Elon Musk’s X Corp., Proton AG, and Verizon, did not respond to inquiries about their compliance, raising concerns given past controversies such as X’s AI chatbot generating nonconsensual images; the FTC enforces compliance but has not publicly commented.