Meta, DOJ, DepEd, and Partners Launch “Take It Down” in the Philippines to Help Victims Remove Harmful Images Taken as Minors
In a bid to combat the growing threat of online sexual abuse and exploitation, Meta has teamed up with the Stairway Foundation, PLAN International Pilipinas, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch the localized “Take It Down” campaign in the Philippines.
The campaign offers a free, private, and secure online tool that allows victims to have intimate images or videos, taken of them when they were under 18 to be blocked from being shared or re-shared on participating platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This applies even if the content was created years ago, ensuring that both children and adults can take action to protect themselves from further harm.
The Philippines has been identified in multiple international reports as one of the global hotspots for online sexual exploitation of children (OSAEC). In many cases, explicit materials created when victims were minors continue to resurface years later, causing renewed trauma.
“This is for anyone, whether you are a child today or an adult now, if the content was created when you were under 18,” said Malina Enlund, Safety Policy Manager for Asia-Pacific at Meta.
“Take It Down is a free, private, and secure tool that allows anyone to stop the online sharing of intimate images without ever having to share those images with anyone.”
The service is designed to address the deep emotional and reputational impact of such violations, which can affect education, career opportunities, and mental health long after the original incident.
• How “Take It Down” Works
The process prioritizes privacy and safety:
1. The victim or a trusted adult visits takeitdown.ncmec.org.
2. They select the image or video from their device — the actual file never gets uploaded.
3. The system generates a unique “digital fingerprint” called a hash, which is a code that represents the image without revealing it.
4. Participating platforms use the hash to detect and block the same content from being posted or re-posted in the future.
The tool was developed by the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and is already in use in several countries. Its localized rollout in the Philippines ensures resources are culturally relevant and available in Filipino.
The Philippine campaign will run from August 2025 to February 2026, using videos, social media content, and educational materials translated into Filipino for greater accessibility.
The campaign will be hosted on the Stairway Foundation’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BG2aRcxTj/.
This joint effort between government, NGOs, and the private sector aims to ensure that victims, regardless of age today to have the tools and support to reclaim control over their digital presence.
