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# US 'TAKE IT DOWN' Act: platforms now face a 48-hour removal duty
- URL: https://kanon.ghost.io/us-take-it-down-act-platforms-now-face-a-48-hour-removal-duty/
- Published: 2026-09-30T15:20:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T15:24:43.000Z
- Description: The FTC enforces a federal duty to remove intimate imagery, including AI forgeries, within 48 hours.
- Author: Kanon
- Tags: AI, US, Media, #Import 2026-09-30 14:47

**Background**

The TAKE IT DOWN Act came into force on 19 May 2026, creating a federal duty on covered platforms to remove non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated forgeries. The FTC enforces it as an unfair or deceptive practice rule.

**Three key points**

**1\. The 48-hour clock.** Covered platforms must establish a notice and removal process and take down non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI deepfake forgeries, within 48 hours of a valid request. The FTC has signalled it will assess whether reporting flows are genuinely accessible, and that a form buried in a privacy policy may not satisfy the clear and conspicuous requirement.

**2\. A new federal criminal offence.** The Act also makes it a federal crime to knowingly publish non-consensual intimate imagery. This operates alongside state-level criminal provisions already in force across a number of jurisdictions.

**3\. Who is covered.** The duty applies to covered platforms, a category that includes large social media services and video-sharing platforms. Publishers and creators who host user comments, images or video should check whether their services fall within scope, as coverage extends beyond the largest platforms.

**Why this matters**

For editorial publishers and digital creators who allow user-generated content, the TAKE IT DOWN Act creates a live compliance obligation. A visible, functional reporting route is a regulatory necessity. The FTC has indicated it will test whether platforms' processes actually work, not just whether they exist.

**Sources:** [Crowell & Moring](https://www.crowell.com/en/insights/client-alerts/federal-and-state-regulators-target-ai-chatbots-and-intimate-imagery?ref=kanon.ghost.io); [AI Laws by State](https://www.ailawsbystate.com/blog/take-it-down-act-platform-compliance-guide-2026?ref=kanon.ghost.io).