TikTok, Bumble join StopNCII.org to curtail non-consensual intimate images leaked online

(Representational Image: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash)

TikTok and Bumble Inc. have joined the StopNCII.org (Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Images) initiative that seeks to curtail the spread of intimate images that are leaked online.

Facebook and Instagram are also industry partners in the movement and the technology for the StopNCII.org service has been built in partnership with Meta.

In a blog post announcing the new partners, NCII said that they have helped over 12,000 people create cases that seek prevention of intimate images and videos from being shared online without consent.

People who are threatened with image or video abuse can use NCII's technology to create on-device hashes or identifiers for their sensitive media. Once created, these hashes are then shared with the NCII database, while the images and videos remain safely on the user's device.

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In case of misuse, these hashes are shared with participating partners, who can use them to identify accounts indulging in abuse and take action.

If an uploaded image matches a known hash, then the image is sent for moderation by participating platforms. If it matches all the criteria, then the image will be removed to prevent it from spreading online.

"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," said Sophie Mortimer, Revenge Porn Helpline Manager at SWGfL.

The organization already works with over 70 global NGO partners, and has a library of more than 40,000 hashes. NCII said that revenge porn is an increasing problem and saw cases jump by 40% between 2020 and 2021 in the UK alone, with total number of cases rising from 3146 to 4406.