AI-generated nudes of you are now a federal crime. Here's what to do if it happens

Nudify apps, face-swap tools, and deepfake generators have made it possible for literally anyone to create fake intimate images of literally anyone else. A classmate, a coworker, an ex, a stranger who found your Instagram.

If this has happened to you or someone you know, here's what you need to know right now.

Yes, it's illegal.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into federal law in 2025. It explicitly covers AI-generated intimate images. Creating them, distributing them, or threatening to distribute them is a federal crime. Up to 3 years imprisonment for deepfakes specifically.

You do NOT need to prove the images are real. You do NOT need to prove who made them. You just need to report them.

How to get them removed:

Report to the platform using their NCII reporting form. Not the regular report button. The NCII-specific form. Every major platform has one. Search "[platform name] intimate image report" and use that.

When you file, explicitly state the content is AI-generated or a deepfake. This triggers additional review under the TAKE IT DOWN Act and platforms are required to remove within 48 hours.

File for Google de-indexing at google.com/webtools/legal. Even if the platform drags its feet, removing from search results means nobody finds it.

Register at stopncii.org. It creates a hash of the fake images so participating platforms auto-block re-uploads. Works on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat, X, Pornhub, and others.

If you know who made them:

File a police report. This is a crime in most states on top of the federal law. Many states have specific deepfake statutes with civil remedies — meaning you can sue for damages.

Report to FBI at ic3.gov if it crosses state lines or involves the internet (it almost always does).

If it happened at school — report to your Title IX coordinator. They have legal obligations to act. This is sexual harassment under federal law.

If it happened at work — report to HR. Same deal.

If you don't know who made them:

Still file police report (creates the record). Still report to every platform. Still file for de-indexing. The creator's identity doesn't change your rights to removal.

Reverse image search the original photos they used as source material. That can sometimes trace back to who had access to those photos.

The biggest misconception:

People think "it's fake so nothing can be done" or "it's not really me so platforms won't care." The opposite is true. Deepfakes are often easier to get removed because platforms have clear policies against them and the law explicitly covers them. The legal framework for AI-generated NCII is actually stronger than for real images in some ways.

What NOT to do:

Don't confront the person you suspect made them. This tips them off and they'll spread the images further or delete evidence.

Don't download or share the fakes yourself, even as evidence. Screenshot the URL with the image visible. That's your evidence.

Don't assume it will just go away. Deepfakes spread fast because they're novel and shocking. Act in the first 24 hours.

Free resources:

• CCRI helpline: 844-878-2274 (free, confidential)
• stopncii.org (hash-based blocking across 16 platforms)
• ic3.gov (FBI reporting)
• google.com/webtools/legal (search result removal)

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If this is happening to you right now, comment or DM. No judgment. We deal with this constantly and it is fixable.