Risks
Nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII)
Sexual or intimate images shared without the pictured person's consent, including real photos and fakes made or edited with AI.
- Parents
- Educators and school leaders
- Policymakers and staff
This is general information, not legal advice.
What parents should know
Nonconsensual intimate imagery is an intimate image shared without consent. AI fakes count. If the person is under 18, report to NCMEC and do not pass the file around. Adults can also use the platform's TAKE IT DOWN removal process. Comfort first. Curiosity is not a reason to open the image again.
On this page
What is NCII?
NCII includes a real intimate photo shared to humiliate someone, and a digital forgery that only looks like one. The FTC's TAKE IT DOWN guidance covers both. Consent to take a photo is not consent to publish it. Consent can also be withdrawn. A minor cannot consent to a sexual image of themselves being produced or shared.
People abbreviate it NCII so reports and school policies can name the harm without describing the picture. Use the abbreviation in procedures. Do not attach the file to the procedure.
Why NCII matters
Teens are threatened, or they are the ones who forward. Both need a script that does not begin with punishment for the person pictured. The person who is scared will not tell you if telling you means the image gets a bigger audience.
Removal is incomplete. A platform can take a copy down in the 48-hour window and a screenshot can remain. Still report. A partial cleanup is better than silence, and a police or NCMEC report is the record if the threat continues.
How it shows up in practice
- A school policy uses NCII and tells staff not to forward the file in email.
- A family uses the platform's removal form and writes down the time of the request.
- The pictured person is under 18, so NCMEC is contacted the same day.
- Classmates are instructed to delete, not to inspect.
How HeyOtto helps
HeyOtto is not a hosting site for intimate images and does not claim to be the federal removal desk. Public project sharing requires parent approval and can be revoked. Image tools are age-filtered. If NCII of a child shows up anywhere, including in a chat, do not redistribute it. Report to NCMEC when the person is under 18, and use the platform removal process where it was posted. Parents can read HeyOtto chats, which is how an adult might learn a threat was typed. The report still goes to NCMEC.
- Do not ask a child to email you the image.
- Schools can turn image generation off.
- Distress alerts and 988 support the person. They do not remove a file.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Do AI fakes count as NCII?
Yes. The FTC says the TAKE IT DOWN Act covers real intimate images and digital forgeries made with AI. If a minor is pictured, also treat it as a NCMEC report. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the 48-hour rule?
As of May 19, 2026, covered platforms must remove a validly reported intimate image, and known identical copies, within 48 hours. If they do not, the FTC accepts complaints at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. NCMEC's Take It Down service is a separate door for images of people under 18.
What if my child forwarded one?
Tell them to stop, delete, and not send it to one more person, including you. If a minor is pictured, report to NCMEC. Forwarding to warn other parents spreads the image. The school can be told that a file exists without a copy attached.
Is this the same as sextortion?
Sextortion is the threat used to demand money or more images. NCII is the image shared without consent. They often happen together. Do not pay. Report both the threat and the image through NCMEC when a minor is involved.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Law entries are reviewed every quarter.
This is general information, not legal advice.