We are pleased to announce that TikTok and Bumble Inc. have joined Facebook and Instagram as Industry Partners of StopNCII.org to prevent the sharing of non-consensual intimate images online.
After nearly one year of service, StopNCII.org has helped over 12,000 people create cases in the prevention of intimate images and videos from being shared online without consent. Participating companies will now be able to receive hashes directly from StopNCII.org.
StopNCII.org (Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Images) has represented a significant change in how adults can protect themselves against intimate image abuse. Anyone who has been affected by threats to share intimate images can use StopNCII.org to protect themselves, directly from their own device. With participating companies, adults can ensure that their intimate images stay private across participating tech companies. StopNCII.org empowers adults to take protective action whilst taking control away from perpetrators of intimate image abuse.
How Does StopNCII.org Work?
StopNCII.org uses world-first, on-device hashing technology. People being threatened with intimate image abuse can create unique identifiers of their images, (also known as ‘hashes’ or digital fingerprints).
Only hashes are shared, not the original image (or video). These ensure that the images (or videos) never leave their device. When a case is opened, hashes are presented as a string of letters and numbers, rather than the image itself to protect the user’s privacy. Hashes are submitted to StopNCII.org and then shared with participating partners. If an image is uploaded, matches the corresponding hash and meets partner policy requirements, the image will be sent for moderation by the participating platform. If the image meets the criteria of an intimate image, it will be removed and blocked from any further sharing across all partner platforms.
StopNCII.org is a free global platform with over 70 global NGO partners that has already had over 40,000 hashes created. Intimate image abuse, also commonly referred to as ‘revenge porn’ is a growing global concern and one that StopNCII.org actively addresses. In the UK alone, the Revenge Porn Helpline operated by SWGfL saw cases increase by over 40% between 2020 and 2021, rising from 3,146 cases to 4,406. StopNCII.org gives adults the opportunity to protect themselves whilst staying in control of their images.
‘‘StopNCII.org is a turning point in the ongoing fight against non-consensual intimate image abuse. Anyone who feels worried or is being threatened with the sharing of intimate images, can take their control back whilst taking power away from perpetrators. With our industry partners, we will continue to tackle this global issue and work to support any adult across the world who needs support. We encourage anyone who is experiencing the devasting effects of intimate image abuse to use StopNCII.org and ensure that their private intimate images, stay private.’’ – Sophie Mortimer, Revenge Porn Helpline Manager at SWGfL
"At Bumble Inc., we're on a mission to help create a world where all relationships are healthy and equitable. Bumble cares deeply about providing people, and particularly women, with the tools they need to feel empowered online. We aim - through our product features, policies, and partnerships to give people more control over their private images. Our participation in StopNCII.org is another important step in this direction. With more of our lives spent online, non-consensual image abuse is a growing issue that, like other forms of sexual harassment, disproportionately targets and impacts women. We're proud to be partnering with StopNCII.org to fight against intimate image abuse and ensure that the wider internet is a safer space.” Lisa Roman, Vice President of Public Policy at Bumble Inc.
"Our goal at TikTok is to foster a safe and supportive environment for our community, and there's no place for this kind of malicious behavior or content on our platform. We're proud to partner with StopNCII.org to strengthen efforts to stop the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery and better support victims." -- Julie de Bailliencourt, Head of Product Policy, TikTok
“We’re proud to partner with these companies to stop the proliferation of non-consensually shared intimate imagery online. When we first helped SWGfL build this platform, we knew it would take the entire tech industry coming together to combat this abuse. The progress made in just the first year since launch is inspiring, and we’re looking forward to continue working together to protect even more adults from intimate image abuse.” – Cindy Southworth, Head of Women’s Safety at Meta
SWGfL continues to invite any platform that allows users to upload content to join StopNCII.org as an industry partner. Contact joinstopncii@swgfl.org.uk to join the campaign against intimate image abuse.
