The FTC has explained how to report an online platform that leaves intimate images online after a removal request. Its 23 September 2026 consumer alert directs people to the agency’s complaint portal when a platform has not acted within 48 hours. This guidance concerns the US Take It Down Act; it does not establish a worldwide removal deadline.
The useful distinction is between asking a platform to remove content, reporting a platform’s failure to the FTC, and using a separate service to help limit further sharing. Those actions serve different purposes.
What the FTC’s Latest Alert Adds
The 23 September FTC alert explains the complaint route: name the platform, provide available details about where the content appeared, and submit the report. It also points readers towards support services and law-enforcement reporting resources.
This is a new explanation of an existing process, not a law that first took effect this week. The FTC began enforcing the platform requirements in May 2026. The agency’s compliance guidance says covered platforms must act within 48 hours of receiving a valid removal request. They must also make reasonable efforts to find and remove known identical copies. The protections include qualifying digitally created or altered intimate images, including deepfakes.
Where to Report an Ignored Removal Request
Use the platform’s process for reporting intimate content shared without consent first. If you cannot find it in the post’s reporting options, check the service’s help or support pages. The FTC’s earlier consumer guidance explains these starting points.
Keep the request confirmation, reference number and time, along with the relevant page or profile URL where it is safe to do so. These details help explain which request the platform failed to address. You do not need to circulate the image to keep a record of your complaint.
If the content remains after 48 hours, visit the FTC’s Take It Down reporting page. Its form also includes an option for people who cannot find the platform’s removal process or find that it is broken.
An FTC complaint is not the same as an individual removal order or a promise that the agency will immediately delete the content. The FTC says it uses reports to investigate and bring cases against platforms. Continue using the platform’s reporting process and appropriate support services.
FTC Reporting and NCMEC’s Take It Down Are Different
TakeItDown.ftc.gov reports platform failures. NCMEC’s Take It Down helps people protect intimate images or videos of themselves taken when they were under 18. It creates a digital fingerprint, called a hash, on the device. The image itself stays there; participating public or unencrypted services can use the hash to identify matching content.
Do not download, forward or ask someone to send an explicit image to use this service. NCMEC says to use material already on your device. Its FAQ explains options when you do not have access to the original device. The service does not cover the whole internet or guarantee that every copy will disappear.
For eligible adults whose images were taken at 18 or older, StopNCII.org offers a separate hashing service. Check its eligibility criteria. It also keeps the image on your device and shares a fingerprint; its removal process depends on participating platforms and their policies.
If a Child Is Affected
Make the immediate conversation about support, not blame. Do not ask a child to forward an explicit image as proof. Impulsec’s guide to online grooming warning signs and reporting explains how to preserve useful non-explicit details and find appropriate help.
The practical takeaway from the FTC’s alert is to choose the right reporting route. A platform removal request, an FTC complaint and a hashing service can complement one another, but none guarantees that content will vanish everywhere. If a child is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services rather than waiting for a platform deadline.
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Stuart Kerr Spindlow is Impulsec’s Publisher, Chief Editor and Lead Reviewer. He writes and maintains coverage of consumer cybersecurity and digital-safety software, with a focus on practical suitability, limitations and the evidence behind product claims. Read Stuart’s full profile.