The TAKE IT DOWN Act
What it is and Why it Matters
When our oldest daughter was around 13 years old in the 7th grade, my husband and I were stunned to discover that she had been texting with an older boy she didn’t actually know. He claimed to be a high schooler who “didn’t mind” that she was younger. They were even talking about meeting up.
It all began when she entered a new friend group, and without permission one of the girls started sending screen shots of our daughter on Facebook to their friends. Looking back, my daughter told me that she had felt manipulated by her friend’s behavior and she had been put in a very awkward, vulnerable position.
We never found out who he really was — a student from another school? An adult pretending to be a teen? A stalker? A sex trafficker? His Facebook profile vanished the day after we found it. That’s when my concern turned to fear.
I reached out to the school counselor, the principal, and even the local police. But because there hadn’t been a direct threat or any physical contact, no one could really do anything. To be fair, this was back in 2015 — a completely different era when it came to technology and online awareness.
My husband and I had educated both of our daughters about the dangers of connecting with strangers online. Through my volunteer work with Shared Hope International, they knew about online grooming and sex trafficking.
She ultimately blocked him, and thankfully, nothing more ever happened. But the experience shook me.
Because if this could happen in our house — where awareness, boundaries and parental controls were already in place — it could happen anywhere and with more serious consequences.
What’s the Big Deal?
Today, kids have far more access to technology — not just through phones, but also through online games, shopping platforms, chat rooms, and social apps we’ve never even heard of. And the problem has only gotten worse.
In addition to an increasing threat of predators trying to trick our kids into sex trafficking and online exploitation, sextortion has become a growing element.
Sextortion occurs when predators (often pretending to be peers) lure kids into sharing explicit photos, then use those images as blackmail. They may threaten to expose the images, send physical threats, or worse.
What’s referred to as “financial sextortion” where the predator demands money has also been on the rise.
Thorn is a nonprofit technology company that is dedicated to providing digital tools and resources for child safety.
According to their latest sextortion research conducted in collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), “812 reports of sextortion are received by NCMEC weekly, with more than two-thirds involving financial demands. The majority of victims are boys aged 14 to 17 who are often encouraged to share sexual images after receiving intimate imagery from the perpetrator.”
Even more disturbing, “One in three surveyed didn’t tell anybody.”
Read about real-life financial sextortion stories shared by Thorn.
What are we doing about it?
In the United States, our government has recently made some progress in this area.
On May 19, President Trump officially enacted the TAKE IT DOWN Act — a major effort championed by First Lady Melania Trump and supported by Shared Hope International, one of over 120 organizations that endorsed this legislation — marking a decisive milestone in the ongoing battle to safeguard our children from online exploitation.
The act demands online media companies to take down sextortion images within 24 hours upon notification from victims. Although damage may have already been done, at a minimum, it will not further destroy lives.
Progress made — but it’s time to pick up the pace
Passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act is definitely a step in the right direction; however, reports of online solicitation continue to rise.
According to NCMEC’s website, “Between 2021 and 2023, the number of online enticement reports increased by more than 300%.”
Additionally, as of October 5, 2024, NCMEC has logged over 456,000 instances of online enticement.
Learn more and share with others
Awareness and advocacy remain key if we are to remain vigilant to this cause.
Here are so resources to help:
Report child sexual exploitation to NCMEC’s CyberTipline for child abuse:
childhelphotline.org | 1-800-422-4453Check out Shared Hope’s advocacy page to learn more about child sex trafficking and advocacy support at a local level
Make a report to NCMEC’s Cybertipline at report.cybertip.org
Reach out to NCMEC for support at: gethelp@ncmec.org or 1-800-THELOST
Learn more at stopsextortion.com