Sharing non-consensual images of underage people online is a serious problem that has grown in popularity in recent years. This is known as “revenge porn” or “image-based abuse,” and it is intended to harass the victims. To combat this growing threat, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has launched “Take It Down,” a new online tool. This tool, created by Facebook and Meta, is intended to assist in the removal of sexually explicit images of minors from the internet.
Take It Down is a “free service that can help you remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of you when you were under the age of 18,” according to NCMEC. It operates on public or unencrypted online platforms where participants have agreed to participate.
Along with Facebook and Instagram, platforms such as Pornhub, Yubo, and OnlyFans have expressed interest in integrating this tool. “We developed this system because many children are in desperate situations,” said Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of NCMEC. “Our hope is that children become aware of this service and feel relieved that tools exist to help them remove the images. NCMEC is here to assist.”
According to NCMEC, the tool does not require the intimate photos or video to function. For each offensive image or video, it instead generates a unique digital signature known as a hash value. These hash values can be used by agreed-upon platforms to detect and delete this type of content without ever accessing or viewing the actual image or video. The NCMEC only receives the hash value for tracking and enforcement purposes. This ensures that both the victims’ and users’ privacy and safety are protected.
Young people under the age of 18 can use the Take It Down tool, as can adults who are concerned about pictures captured of them when they were younger. Parents or trusted adults acting on behalf of a minor can also report on their behalf.
Just choose any explicit video or image on your gadget and click “Get Started” to begin using Take It Down. Without uploading the actual content, the tool will generate a new digital fingerprint, or hash code, for each item. NCMEC compiles these hash values into a secure list, which is discussed only with participating digital sites that have consented to employ it to search their public or unsecure websites and mobile applications for malware.
If a match is identified, the framework can implement measures to restrict the dissemination of the adult material without ever obtaining or viewing it.
