Take It Down Tool: What Is It, How To Use It To Remove Explicit Images, Cyber Security Expert Weighs In

Having explicit videos and images online can be scary but with tools like Take It Down, there is an option of taking them down. Funded by Facebook and Instagram, Take It Down is a tool designed to remove sexually explicit images of minors on the internet.

Cyber security expert Shubham Singh took to his Instagram handle and shared about the tool in detail. His post read, "Take me down can be used to stop online sharing of explicit images of users."

Take It Down is a free service that can help remove or stop online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of individuals when they were under the age of 18 years. "With this tool, users can remain anonymous while using the service. For this, they don't need to send their images or videos to anyone," Shubham Singh's post further read.

How To Use Take It Down Tool?

Further, the cyber security expert shared how the tool works.

Step 1 - Select the explicit image or video that you wish to hash from the device.

Step 2 - Click on the 'Get Started' button to begin the process.

- The tool will ask you your age in the image/video you wish to submit.

- You will then have to verify if your images and videos include nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit content.

- The service is only meant to be used for nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos of individuals under the age of 18.

- The tool will ask you to select photos/videos from the device you want to create a hash value for.

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- No image or video will be uploaded but a hash value will be created and added to the NCMEC list.

- While uploading, none of the photos or videos should have the person's name or other information that can identify them.

Step 3 - The tool generates a unique 'hash' or digital fingerprint for your image or video. This hash is then added to the secure list maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Your original video or image will remain on your device and not get uploaded on any online platform.

Step 4 - All the participating online platforms falling under the NCMEC list will look for the hash values of your explicit content.

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Step 5 - If the tool detects an image or video that matches your hash value on the NCMEC list, it can take action to limit the spread of the image or video.

Step 6 - Once you have submitted the explicit image or video to NCMEC, make sure you do not share it on social media. In case you do, the hash value will get flagged and your social media account will be blocked.