NCMEC’s Take It Down tool is a free, anonymous service that helps stop the spread of intimate images and videos of people who were under 18 when the content was created. Run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, it works by generating a digital fingerprint, called a hash, from the file on your device. Participating platforms use that hash to detect and remove matching content, without you ever having to upload the image itself or share your identity.
How Does It Work?
Using Take It Down takes four steps, and none of them require you to upload anything or say who you are.
1. Open the tool on your device
Open the Take It Down tool on whichever device the images or videos are currently on. Never send, share, or download an image just to submit it, only use files you already have saved. Check the box confirming the content was taken before you turned 18, then click Next.
You’ll be asked a couple of quick questions about the images before moving on.
After answering the questions, click Next to continue.
2. Select the image or video
Choose the files you want protected. You can add up to 10 at a time. Strip any personal information out of the file names first. The files themselves never leave your device; the tool only scans them where they sit.
3. The tool assigns a hash value
This is the core of how the Take It Down tool works. It uses perceptual hashing to create a unique value from your file. Because it runs directly in your browser, the actual image or video never leaves your device, only the resulting hash gets sent to NCMEC.
Unlike traditional hashing methods, perceptual hashing can still find a match even after someone resizes the image, edits the brightness or contrast, adds watermarks or text, or crops or compresses the image. This is crucial, as these edits are common once an image starts circulating.
4. Review your submission
You’ll see the file names and the hash value assigned to each one. Before submitting, you’ll tick a few boxes: confirming you were under 18 when the content was created, consenting to have the hash values added to NCMEC’s list, and confirming the files aren’t spam. NCMEC never sees or receives the actual image, only the hash.
Click Submit.
5. Hash values are shared with participating platforms
Your hash gets added to a secure list maintained by NCMEC. Platforms that participate in the program use that list to scan their public or unencrypted sites and apps for matches.
6. Platforms remove images with a match
If a platform finds a match, it can act according to its own policies to limit the spread. Take It Down doesn’t control this step, and platforms may have limited ability to remove content that was already posted before the hash was submitted.
What Should You Do If Someone Threatens to Share Private Images?
If someone is threatening to share your intimate images unless you pay them or send more content, that’s a form of blackmail (also called sextorsion), and it’s a crime. Here’s what to do.
Don’t pay, and don’t comply. It feels like the fastest way out, but it rarely is. Paying, or sending more images, doesn’t make the threat go away. It confirms you’ll respond, and that often invites more demands.
Preserve the evidence. Screenshot everything: messages, usernames, profile links, payment requests. Don’t delete the conversation, even if it’s tempting to want it gone. That evidence is what platforms and law enforcement will need to act.
Report the account and the content. Most platforms have a direct reporting path for threats and extortion. Report the account itself, not just the message, so the platform can review the full pattern of behavior.
Contact trusted support resources. You shouldn’t handle this alone. Loop in a trusted adult if you’re a minor, and report to the FBI’s IC3 or NCMEC’s CyberTipline, which can offer additional support beyond what Take It Down covers.
Use Take It Down if you’re eligible. If the images were created when you were under 18, submit a hash through Take It Down right away. It won’t stop a determined extortionist on its own, but it puts a safeguard in place across participating platforms.
What is the Difference Between Take It Down and StopNCII?
Both tools work the same way, using a hash to help platforms find and remove matching content, but they’re built for two different groups of people.
Take It Down: for content created when someone was under 18. If the image or video was taken while you were a minor, even if you’re an adult now, this is the tool that applies to you. It’s the one covered throughout this guide.
StopNCII: built primarily for adults. If you were 18 or older when the content was created, StopNCII is the equivalent resource. It runs on the same hash-matching model, just aimed at adult victims of non-consensual intimate image sharing.
Closing Out: Removing Leaked Private Images
NCMEC’s take it down tool is an excellent resource, but it’s not always the full solution. It only works with platforms that have agreed to participate, and neither can promise removal from every corner of the internet. Screenshots, reposts, and sites outside the program can still slip through, particularly if an image or video has already been leaked.
If your private images have already spread further than a hash match can reach, or you’d rather not navigate takedown requests platform by platform on your own, you don’t have to. Reputation911’s leaked image removal services combine content removal and search suppression to get harmful content down faster, and keep it from resurfacing.
FAQs
Is Take It Down anonymous?
Yes. You never have to submit your name, email, or any other identifying information. The file stays on your device throughout the entire process.
Who can use Take It Down?
Anyone who was under 18 when the image or video was created, even if they’re an adult now. The service is built specifically to stop the spread of intimate content involving minors.
Do I have to upload my photo or video to Take It Down?
No. Your file never leaves your device. Take It Down creates a hash locally, and that’s the only thing shared with participating platforms.
Does Take It Down remove images from the internet?
Not directly. Take It Down creates a hash that participating platforms can use to detect and remove matching content on their own systems. It can’t reach into every corner of the internet, and it can’t guarantee removal from sites that don’t participate.
Does Take It Down work on social media platforms?
Yes, for the platforms that have agreed to participate. As of now, that includes Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, OnlyFans, Pornhub, RedGIFS, Yubo, Clips4Sale, and AZNude. NCMEC adds new platforms over time, so check the current participants page for the most up-to-date list.
Can Take It Down remove images that were shared without my permission?
It can help participating platforms identify and remove matching content, but it can’t guarantee removal from every site, especially ones outside the program.
What should I do if someone is threatening to share my private images?
Don’t pay or comply with the demands. Save the evidence, report the account, and reach out to a trusted resource like NCMEC’s CyberTipline. If you’re eligible, submit a hash through Take It Down as an added layer of protection.
How long does Take It Down take to work?
There’s no set timeline. Once your hash is created, participating platforms can use it right away, but how long review and removal actually takes depends on that platform.