FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson warned major technology companies to meet a fast-approaching deadline under the Take It Down Act, reminding platforms that they must create clear systems for removing nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, by May 19.
The Federal Trade Commission said Ferguson sent letters to more than a dozen leading companies, including Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Bumble, Discord, Match Group, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok and X, describing their obligations under the law and warning that violations could bring enforcement action.
Platforms face 48-hour removal deadline
The Take It Down Act requires covered platforms to establish a process that allows victims, including minors, to request the removal of intimate photos or videos shared without their consent.
Under the law, companies that receive a valid request must remove the reported content and known identical copies within 48 hours, according to the FTC letter. The agency said the rules apply broadly to online services that host or distribute user-generated content, including social media, messaging, image-sharing, video-sharing and gaming platforms.
The law also covers “digital forgeries,” including images created or altered with software, apps or artificial intelligence, making the measure part of a wider federal response to the spread of deepfake abuse online.
FTC pushes companies to build clear reporting systems
The FTC’s letter told companies they must provide plain-language information about how users can submit removal requests and ensure that the notice is clear and easy to find.
The agency said platforms should consider placing removal options wherever intimate content may appear, including posts, messages, comments and livestreams. It also said the process should be available to people who do not have accounts on the platform, since the law’s protections are not limited to registered users.
The FTC urged companies to help users track removal requests by providing identifying numbers and clear updates on whether content was removed or why action was not taken.
It also encouraged platforms to use tools such as hashing to prevent removed images from reappearing and to share relevant hashes with groups including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and StopNCII.org.
Penalties add pressure ahead of compliance date
The letter warned that violations of the Take It Down Act will be treated as violations of an FTC rule, exposing companies to civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
The compliance push comes as lawmakers and regulators intensify scrutiny of how large platforms handle image-based abuse, particularly as AI tools make it easier to generate realistic intimate deepfakes without consent.
For platforms, the FTC’s warning turns the issue into an operational deadline as much as a legal one. Companies must not only remove reported material quickly, but also build systems capable of finding duplicates, responding to victims and preventing harmful content from spreading again.