Take It Down is a free service from NCMEC for people who have nude or sexually explicit images from before they turned 18. The image never leaves your device. Only a digital fingerprint called a hash is sent, and participating platforms use it to find and limit matching copies.
Who it is for
NCMEC says the service is for anyone with such images or videos of themselves taken under 18 who believes they have been, or will be, shared online. You can use it even if you are unsure whether the content has been shared. You can stay anonymous.
If the image was taken when the person was 18 or older, NCMEC's page points to a different service, stopncii.org.
What happens when you submit
The tool makes a unique hash value for each image or video. A hash is a short string computed from the file. The same file produces the same hash, and the string cannot be turned back into the picture.
According to NCMEC:
- The file stays on your device. It is not uploaded and nobody views it.
- Only the hash goes to NCMEC.
- NCMEC shares the list of hashes with participating online platforms.
- Those platforms can scan their public or unencrypted services for matches and act on them to limit the spread.
For a worried teenager, the privacy point matters most. They do not have to show a stranger the picture.
What it cannot do
NCMEC is open about the limits:
- It works on platforms that take part, and on public or unencrypted services.
- Platforms may have limited ability to remove content that is already posted.
- Do not send, share or download the content in order to submit it, and do not post it on social media afterwards. Future posts may be flagged and could block the account.
Because of these limits, NCMEC suggests also reporting the content to its CyberTipline for extra support.
Where it fits in a response
Take It Down handles removal. It does not stop a person who is making threats. For that, follow the wider steps in what to do if a teen is being blackmailed: block but keep evidence, report the account, and get an adult or NCMEC involved.
A tip for adults helping: let the teen run the submission on their own phone if they want to. It keeps control with them.
Quick check
Does NCMEC see the picture?
No. NCMEC says the image or video stays on the device and only the hash is sent.
Does it work for photos taken after age 18?
Not through this service. NCMEC directs those cases to stopncii.org.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
