Revenge Porn Is Illegal: The Laws That Actually Protect You
2026-07-02 · Reviewed by the ProtectFlow team
Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including deepfakes, is illegal in most jurisdictions — not just a copyright matter. In the U.S., the Take It Down Act requires platforms to remove reported NCII within 48 hours. Brazil requires removal within two hours. Free resources like StopNCII.org and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative's hotline can help immediately, alongside formal takedowns.
"Revenge porn" undersells what this actually is
The term suggests an ex-partner getting even, but non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) covers a lot more: content obtained through hacking, sextortion, AI-generated deepfakes, and material stolen from paid platforms like OnlyFans. None of that requires an ex, a motive, or even a real photo — a convincing deepfake is treated the same as a real one under most current laws.
United States: the Take It Down Act
Signed into federal law in 2025, the Take It Down Act requires covered platforms to remove reported NCII — real or AI-generated — within 48 hours of a valid request, and to make reasonable efforts to catch re-uploads. This applies on top of copyright law, so it works even for content you didn't technically "own" a copyright in, like a deepfake.
A related free tool worth knowing about: StopNCII.org lets you generate a digital hash of an image without uploading the image itself, which participating platforms use to detect and block matching content proactively — useful even before something leaks widely.
Brazil: a two-hour window
Brazil's rules are stricter still. A 2026 federal decree requires platforms operating in Brazil to remove reported non-consensual intimate content — including AI-manipulated imagery — within two hours, and to block it from being re-uploaded to the same service. Separately, Brazilian criminal law (Law 13.718/2018) makes distributing this kind of content a punishable offense on its own, independent of any takedown process.
It's usually a crime, not just a removable post
Beyond the U.S. and Brazil, most countries now treat non-consensual distribution of intimate images as a criminal matter, a civil one, or both — meaning the person who leaked or distributed it can potentially face charges or a lawsuit, separate from getting the content taken down. If you know who's responsible, that's worth raising with a local attorney alongside the removal process.
Free resources if you need help right now
Two nonprofit resources are worth knowing regardless of what else you do: StopNCII.org for proactive hash-matching, and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, which runs a 24/7 hotline and a directory of attorneys by state. Neither is affiliated with ProtectFlow — they're genuinely free, and worth using in parallel with anything else.
Where a formal takedown still fits in
These legal protections give you faster deadlines and cover cases copyright law doesn't (like pure deepfakes), but you still need to identify the platforms, submit a compliant request to each one, and follow up when they miss deadlines. Our DMCA takedown guide covers the mechanics of filing a notice if you're doing this yourself.
Chasing this across dozens of sites and jurisdictions at once is exactly where it stops being a one-person job. If you'd rather have it handled, message us on Telegram — we file in our name, not yours, and track deadlines across every framework above.
FAQ
Does this apply to deepfakes, or only real photos?
Both. The Take It Down Act and Brazil's 2026 decree explicitly cover AI-generated or manipulated intimate imagery, not just authentic photos or videos.
What if I don't know who created or shared it?
You don't need to identify them to request removal — the takedown obligation is on the platform, not on finding the source. Identifying them matters more if you want to pursue civil or criminal action separately.
Is StopNCII.org actually free?
Yes. It's an independent nonprofit tool — you don't pay, and you don't upload the image itself, only a hash generated on your device.
How is this different from a DMCA takedown?
DMCA is a copyright mechanism with no fixed response deadline. NCII-specific laws like the Take It Down Act and Brazil's decree set hard deadlines (48 hours, 2 hours) and apply even when copyright doesn't clearly cover the content, like deepfakes.
Can I actually sue the person who shared it?
In many places, yes — often both criminally and civilly, depending on local law. This is separate from getting the content removed, and worth discussing with a local attorney if you know who's responsible.
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