StopNCII works by turning an intimate photo or video into a hash, a short code that acts like a digital fingerprint, on your own phone or computer. Only that hash leaves your device. StopNCII shares it with participating platforms, which compare new uploads against it and review any match under their own rules. For creators the deciding detail is eligibility: StopNCII's case form says it cannot accept commercial or professional images, so content you made to sell usually needs a copyright route rather than a hash.
This guide covers the tool itself: who qualifies, how a case is built, where the hashes go and where StopNCII stops. If you are in Australia and dealing with a leak right now, the Australian leak response plan owns the eSafety and police steps. If paid posts were copied, the copyright takedown evidence pack covers the notice you will need. Everything here is general information, not legal advice.
What happens to your file when you create a case
StopNCII is operated by the Revenge Porn Helpline, which is part of the UK charity SWGfL, and its frequently asked questions say the tool was developed with Meta. When you choose a file, the fingerprinting runs on your device. The picture or video is never uploaded; what gets created is a hash, which StopNCII compares to a barcode attached to the image. The same page names the algorithms: PDQ or PhotoDNA for photos and MD5 for videos.
The hash then sits in StopNCII's bank and is sent to partner companies, including partners that join later. When someone tries to upload a file whose hash matches, the partner checks the content against its own policy and decides what to do. The FAQ describes this in two ways, once as matching images being removed and once as platforms reviewing matches and acting on their policies. The second, more detailed answer is the safer expectation: a match starts a moderation decision on that one service, not an automatic deletion everywhere.
Two technical details matter for creators. An exact-match system is sensitive to edits, and StopNCII warns that cropping, filters or a trimmed clip can stop the original hash recognising the new version, which then needs its own hash. Video and image hashes are also different formats, so a video's thumbnail is not covered by the video hash. StopNCII suggests taking a few screenshots of the video and hashing them alongside it.
Eligibility checklist before you start
StopNCII's Create Your Case page asks you to confirm these points before it lets you fingerprint anything, and it states plainly that ineligible media will not be removed. Answer each one honestly.
- You appear in the image or video. Another person may appear with you, but you cannot open a case on someone else's behalf.
- You were an adult when it was taken and you are an adult now.
- You still hold the file, or a clean screenshot of it, on a device you control.
- It shows you nude, semi-nude or in a sexual act, and you did not agree to it being published online.
- It is not commercial or professional material, such as posts produced for a subscription page or a paid shoot.
- If it is a deepfake or other generated image of you, you are fingerprinting the fake itself, not the ordinary photo it was built from.
- You are not trying to protect screenshots of text chats, audio recordings or test images, which the page lists as unacceptable.
Where you live is not a barrier. The FAQ says the tool can be used from anywhere in the world, and it does not ask for your name or email address to open a case.
Private, commercial or synthetic: which route fits
Most of the confusion creators run into comes from one line. SWGfL's August 2026 article on how the Revenge Porn Helpline supports content creators explains that under current UK law, material already uploaded to a public platform, including paywalled posts on sites such as OnlyFans, may be treated as commercial rather than private. The Helpline therefore generally cannot report that material for you, and StopNCII draws a similar line on its case form. The table sorts common situations; the last column is where to start, not the only step.
| Situation | Does StopNCII fit? | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| A private image you once sent a partner is now posted publicly | Yes, if every checklist point holds | Report the post, open a case, and in Australia consider an eSafety report |
| Posts from your subscription page reappear on a leak forum | No: the case form excludes commercial media | A copyright notice to the host and the original platform's DMCA team |
| A custom clip you sold to one buyer is circulating | Probably treated as commercial; ask a support service if unsure | Copyright notice first, keeping the sale record with your evidence |
| Someone made an AI nude of you from your public photos | Yes: fingerprint the fake, never your source photo | Report it to the platform as non-consensual or synthetic imagery |
| Someone threatens to publish images you still hold | Yes, and you can open a case before anything is posted | Stop replying, keep the messages, and contact police |
| The image was taken when you were under 18 | No, even if you are an adult now | NCMEC's Take It Down service, and police |
For threats, the sextortion safety steps explain how to stop contact and keep evidence without paying. Platform rules on generated imagery are covered in the OnlyFans AI and deepfake policy guide.
How to create a case, step by step
Prepare before you open the form. Use a device only you can unlock, pause any shared photo album or cloud folder, and have a password manager open, because StopNCII cannot recover a lost case number or password and does not store them.
- Read the eligibility screen and agree only if every condition applies to the files you plan to protect.
- Answer the age question. Choosing under 18 ends the flow and points you to NCMEC or the Internet Watch Foundation.
- Say who appears in the files. Choosing someone else ends the case, because only the person shown can submit.
- Answer the screens about setting, nudity and sexual activity so the tool can confirm it is the right service.
- Say whether the material is already online. If it is, the form reminds you that reporting directly to the platform may be the fastest help.
- Select the files. The case page allows up to 20 photos or videos per case, so larger sets need several cases.
- Check every file name before the hashes are generated so you do not fingerprint the wrong picture.
- Create the case password. The page warns that it cannot be reset if lost, and it is never shared with partners.
- Decide whether to have the case number emailed. The email field is optional; if you leave it blank, copy the number from the confirmation screen.
- Review and submit. Submitting is the moment you consent to the hashes being shared with participating companies.
The case status page later shows whether a hash has been matched and blocked, and the StopNCII FAQ says updates can take 3-5 days to appear. You cannot add files to an existing case. You can withdraw a case at any time with your case number and password, although StopNCII notes that partners may keep enforcing their own policies once they know a hash.
Save the case number and password together in one password-manager entry with a neutral name. If keeping the original files is distressing, the FAQ confirms you can delete them once the hash exists; the fingerprint stays in the bank either way.
Which platforms receive the hashes
StopNCII's industry partners page on 1 October 2026 listed Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Reddit, Snap, X, Bluesky, Patreon, Depop and Microsoft, plus adult platforms including OnlyFans, Pornhub, RedGifs and FetLife. Microsoft's entry says it uses validated hashes in Bing and, from May 2026, in hosted consumer services such as OneDrive, Teams Free, Xbox and GroupMe.
Treat that page as the authoritative list, because other official pages lag behind it. eSafety's guide to reporting image-based abuse still names Bumble among the platforms StopNCII protects, yet Bumble was absent from StopNCII's own partner page on the same day. Google said in a September 2025 Search announcement that it would begin using StopNCII hashes over the following months, but it did not appear on the partner page either. When the sources disagree, plan around the partner page and check it again before relying on any one service.
What is missing matters as much. Telegram, Discord, Fansly and Fanvue were not listed, and StopNCII says hashing does not reach encrypted messaging. Leaks that spread through private groups need each platform's own reporting tools, and the Telegram leak removal guide covers that route.
What StopNCII cannot do
The tool is a blocking layer for partner services, and its own FAQ is candid about the gaps. Read the limits before you decide it is the only thing you need.
| Limit | Effect on your content | Do this alongside it |
|---|---|---|
| Only partner platforms use the hashes | A leak forum or offshore tube site that is not a partner never sees your fingerprint | Send notices to that host and ask search engines to delist the page |
| Matching works on near-identical copies | Cropped, filtered, re-watermarked or trimmed versions can slip past | Open a separate case for an edited version you already hold |
| Commercial and professional media are excluded | Paid posts and shoots made for sale fall outside the tool | Use the copyright route in the evidence pack |
| Encrypted messaging is out of reach | Private chats and direct messages are not scanned for matches | Report inside the app and keep your own evidence log |
| No police reporting or uploader identification | StopNCII blocks re-sharing; it does not investigate who posted | Go to police for threats, extortion or stalking |
| Lost case details cannot be recovered | Without them you cannot check status or withdraw the case | Store the case number and password before you press submit |
| Copies already online still need reports | The FAQ tells you to report shared images to the platform first | Report each URL, then rely on the hash for future uploads |
How to report non-consensual intimate images outside Australia
Removal of copies that are already online still runs through platforms, search engines and, in some countries, the law. StopNCII's own advice puts reporting to the platform first.
- Platforms: report from the post itself where you can. Meta's NCII reporting page covers Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Messenger, offers a form for people without an account, and says Meta may bank a removed image to catch identical copies.
- United States: the FTC's image-based abuse guidance says covered platforms must remove such images and known identical copies within 48 hours of your request. The Take It Down Act request guide has a template and the escalation route.
- United Kingdom: the Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults in the UK with private content and, while it cannot report commercial content for you, can help creators find the right channel.
- Elsewhere: StopNCII keeps a global network of partner organisations for local support and advice.
- Search engines: delisting a page from results is a separate request, explained in how to remove leaked content from Google.
Contact police straight away if someone is threatening you, demanding money or more content, or stalking you, or if any material shows a person under 18. In the US, the FTC also points people to the FBI. Talk to a lawyer if you know who posted the material, if ownership of the content is disputed, or if you are thinking about court action.
Limitations of this guide
StopNCII controls its own rules, partner list and case screens, and any of them can change without notice; this page reflects them as published on 1 October 2026. The private-versus-commercial line comes from StopNCII's form and the Helpline's reading of UK law, and other countries draw it differently, so a support service where you live may advise otherwise. Nothing here can predict whether a partner will act on a particular match, and it is general information rather than legal advice.