FTC Will Begin Enforcing Take It Down Act Immediately

On May 19, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will begin enforcing the Take It Down Act (TIDA) immediately. TIDA was made law in May 2025 and requires platforms to remove non-consensual intimate imagery within 48 hours of being notified. It provides criminal penalties for the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery and deepfakes, particularly of minors.

TIDA gave covered platforms until May 2026 “to give people a way to request the removal of intimate photos or videos shared online without their consent and to remove those intimate images, and known identical copies, within 48 hours of a valid request.”

The FTC has provided a clear message that it intends to enforce the law, by:

monitoring compliance, investigating violations, and holding platforms accountable when they fail to protect people—especially children—from this harmful abuse. To assist in investigations and enforcement actions, the agency launched TakeItDown.ftc.gov, where people can tell the FTC about platforms that fail to swiftly take down intimate photos and videos shared without their consent or platforms without a process for requesting removal of these images.

According to the FTC, “Know this: Platforms violating the law may face FTC law enforcement action, including potential civil penalties of $53,088 per violation.” This is a very clear message that enforcement of the TIDA is an FTC top priority.

The FTC has provided guidance for businesses that are subject to TIDA to assist with compliance.

In addition to the TakeItDown.ftc.gov website, the FTC has also published guidance to help consumers who are victims of nonconsensual intimate images posted online, and how consumers can report a platform that does not take down a nonconsensual intimate image within 48 hours of the request. The FTC is urging victims to report incidents, as well as to report “the perpetrator to local criminal law enforcement, as well as the FBI.”

If you are a victim of the posting of nonconsensual intimate images (or a deepfake), take control: request the platform take the images down, report it to law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FTC.