One Year After the TAKE IT DOWN Act, Survivors Gain a New Tool To Fight Back

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 19, 2026 – Today marks one year since the TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into law—the first federal legislation requiring online platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images (NCII), including AI-generated content, within 48 hours of a survivor’s report. 

On this anniversary, the Federal Trade Commission has launched its Take It Down complaint portal (TakeItDown.ftc.gov) to give survivors a formal mechanism to report platforms that fail to comply.

To help survivors navigate this process, RAINN has published a step-by-step guide to reporting, covering how to submit a report, direct links to platform reporting pages, and survivor support on the National Sexual Assault Hotline. The guide is available at rainn.org/reportTESA.

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act was the first federal law to meaningfully regulate AI, a momentous step achieved in a truly bipartisan effort and with the important advocacy of partners like RAINN,” Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) said. “It was a shining moment of good governance. A year later, the fight to protect Americans’ privacy, empower victims, and address sexually explicit AI deepfakes continues. As AI becomes more ingrained in society, I am bolstered by the dedication of our coalition to always prioritize the safety, privacy, and dignity of the American people.”

When a survivor submits a report of tech-enabled sexual abuse to a platform like Facebook, TikTok, X, and others, the 48-hour clock starts. If a platform fails to act, survivors can now escalate to the FTC, which has the authority to hold companies accountable.

“Survivors have been waiting for this next phase of the TAKE IT DOWN Act to come into effect. RAINN’s step-by-step guide will help provide a clear path to remove images and a place to start healing,” said Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of RAINN. “Our guide links directly to each major online platform’s reporting form to help survivors quickly report and start the 48-hour takedown clock. Our National Sexual Assault Hotline support specialists understand the realities and impacts of tech-enabled sexual abuse, and are available 24/7.”

States, including Ohio and Minnesota, are also advancing legislation that builds on the Take It Down Act’s national framework, reflecting a growing demand for protections against tech-enabled sexual abuse.

“When people hear about pornography made with deep fake technology, they think of high-profile cases involving celebrities like Taylor Swift. I am proof that this can happen to anybody,” said survivor Molly Kelley, a Minnesota advocate and mom in her final semester at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

As the FTC opens its portal for survivors to report inaction on the part of platforms, RAINN calls on tech platforms to treat compliance as a floor, not a ceiling. Companies that want to be leaders in survivor safety have a seat at the table—and RAINN will continue to monitor how the law is implemented in practice.

Survivors of tech-enabled sexual abuse can reach RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: call 800.656.HOPE (4673), chat at RAINN.org/hotline, or text “HOPE” to 64673.

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