StopNCII for your own nude or sexual images: what hashing covers

Who and what the hashing process is designed for

Check the age in the image, not just your age today. StopNCII’s FAQ says the content must depict you, be nude or sexual, and be available to you. It states that you must be over 18 in the image; if you were under 18 in it, the FAQ directs you to NCMEC’s Take It Down, even if you are an adult now. Follow the current eligibility wording in that official FAQ before starting. Do not obtain or download additional intimate material to carry out a profile check. [StopNCII: How it works and eligibility]

Local hashing versus uploading the image

The central distinction is between generating a hash and sending an image. A hash is a digital fingerprint calculated from the file. In the StopNCII process, that calculation happens on your device, and the image itself does not leave through the hashing step. That does not mean the image never moves anywhere in your life, or that a hash reverses into a picture. Treat the hash as a reference value that platforms can compare against, not as a stored copy of the photo. Keeping this distinction clear helps you describe what you did if you later need to explain the case to a platform or support channel. [StopNCII: How it works and eligibility]

• Use only your own eligible file that is already available to you.
• Keep the case reference private without making extra copies of the image.

What participating platforms can and cannot do

Hashing only reaches platforms that take part. It is not a whole-internet removal service, and it does not cover encrypted messages, where content is not scanned for matches in the same way. A match may help a platform identify a copy, but coverage is not universal and a hash is not a guarantee that every copy will be found or removed. Think of it as one layer of protection alongside platform reporting, account security and, where relevant, advice from a qualified local support service. [StopNCII: How it works and eligibility]

Preserve the case number and PIN

When you create a case, you receive a case number and a PIN. These are the details that let you return to the case later. They cannot be recovered if lost, so store them somewhere separate from the image and from anyone you do not trust. A simple approach is to write them on paper kept privately, or in a password manager, and to note the date. If you share a device, avoid saving them where another user of that device would see them. [StopNCII: How it works and eligibility]

A calm record of what you did

Keep a short factual log: the date you made the hash, the case number and PIN location, and any later platform reports you file. Record what you directly observed, such as a post you found yourself, rather than conclusions about who posted it or why. A match, a badge or a removed post is not proof of identity or intent, so avoid building the log around accusations. This separation between observation and inference keeps the record useful and reduces the risk of acting on assumptions.

• Log only what you saw and when, not guesses about the person behind it.
• Keep the log in one place you control, and review who else can access it.

Deciding whether this route fits

If the own-image, age-in-content or file-access conditions are not met, use the official FAQ’s appropriate support route. Do not submit someone else’s image on their behalf or try to acquire a missing file. If a post is already online, platform reporting is a separate step alongside any eligible hashing case. Neither route identifies the uploader or promises removal everywhere.

• Check your age in the content against the current official eligibility questions.
• Use the specific platform’s reporting route for a post that is already online.

A couple more questions