Getting an intimate image of your child removed from the internet

If a nude, partially nude or sexual image of your child is online, or you fear it will be, there are concrete steps you can take. Act quickly, but don't panic: many images can be removed.

Take It Down (for images of under-18s)

Take It Down is a free service run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It works for images and videos taken when the person was under 18, and it can be used from the Philippines.

How it works:

1. Go to takeitdown.ncmec.org on the device that has the image.
2. Select the image or video. It's not uploaded. Instead, the tool creates a "hash", a digital fingerprint, on your device.
3. The hash is shared with participating platforms, which include several major social media and content sites.
4. Those platforms can then detect and remove matching images, and block them from being uploaded again.

You can use it even if you don't know whether the image has been posted yet. Your child can use it themselves, too.

If you don't have the image (for example, someone else has it), you can still report to platforms and authorities as below.

StopNCII (for adults)

If the person in the image is now 18 or older, StopNCII.org offers a similar hashing service for intimate images shared without consent.

Report on each platform

Report every post, account and link where the image appears. Choose the option for nudity involving a minor, child sexual exploitation, or non-consensual intimate images. Platforms prioritise reports involving children, and Philippine law (RA 11930) requires them to remove such material.

Report to authorities

Report to the CICC hotline 1326, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, the PNP Women and Children Protection Center or the NBI Cybercrime Division, especially if:

• Someone is threatening to share the image (sextortion)
• An adult took, requested or shared the image
• The image is being sold or traded
• It's spreading at school

See how to report online child abuse for what to prepare.

Important: don't keep copies

Don't save, screenshot or forward the image, even to report it. Record the links, usernames and platforms instead.

Search engines

If the image appears in search results, Google and other search engines have request forms for removing explicit images of minors and non-consensual intimate images from results.

Support your child

Having an intimate image shared is deeply distressing. Your child may feel exposed, humiliated or afraid to go to school. Reassure them that it's not their fault, that you're taking action, and that it will get better. Watch for signs of depression or self-harm and get support: the NCMH crisis hotline 1553, Bantay Bata 163, or a counsellor. If it involves classmates, ask the school to act under its child protection policy.

If the image is AI-generated

Fake sexual images made with AI or editing apps cause real harm and can be reported in the same way. See deepfakes and nudify apps.