The National Center for Victims of Internet and Cybercrimes (NCVIC) was created to enforce lawful takedowns of exploitative content — particularly non-consensual intimate imagery, child sexual abuse material, extortion, and other forms of digital exploitation. Because these decisions can have real consequences for victims, websites, platforms, and infrastructure providers, NCVIC maintains an independent Oversight Board and a formal Appeals Process to review contested decisions and uphold the integrity of our enforcement work.
We operate with a narrow, statutorily grounded mandate: we intervene only when a victim asks us to and when the content is clearly unlawful or prohibited by the Terms of Service of the platforms and infrastructure providers involved.
NCVIC's enforcement is built on three foundational commitments:
Action is only taken when real harm to real individuals has been verified.
Every takedown is grounded in either federal, state, or local law (jurisdictionally aware), or the Terms of Service of the platform or infrastructure provider enabling the content's distribution.
We remove harmful exploitative content and we provide a clear, independent avenue for contesting our decisions.
Reviews Appeals of NCVIC Decisions
Any party affected by a takedown — including site operators, platforms, and infrastructure providers — may appeal if they believe the removal was not legally or contractually warranted. Likewise, victims may appeal non-action if NCVIC declines to issue a takedown. The Oversight Board conducts an impartial, structured review of these cases to ensure decisions are correct, consistent, and fair.
Establishes Clear Guidance for How Companies Should Replace Removed Content
To make appeals possible without exposing victims to further harm, NCVIC recommends that webmasters replace removed content and associated metadata with a safe, neutral notice such as:
This content was removed following a lawful request citing violations of the following:
-18 U.S.C. § 1591 (Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion)
-18 U.S.C. § 2252A (Child Sexual Abuse Material)
-Cloudflare Terms of Service
-Google Terms of Service
-Namecheap Terms of Service
Case: [Public Case Number]
To appeal this determination, contact: appeals@ncvic.org and reference Public Case Number, or click the Appeals button below.
This approach protects transparency while preventing the dissemination of harmful or illegal material, or evidence.
Interprets Terms of Service for Platforms and Infrastructure Providers
Many NCVIC takedowns involve not just websites, but the infrastructure layers that make content visible online: registrars, hosts, CDNs, cloud providers, DNS operators, and other intermediaries. The Oversight Board reads and interprets their Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policies, documents how reported content violates those rules, explains why escalation to an infrastructure layer is justified, and creates transparent, principled precedent for future cases. This is a first-of-its-kind body that builds public, reasoned interpretations of how infrastructure companies' own rules apply to abusive content.
Publishes Redacted Decisions When Appropriate
To strengthen institutional trust, the Board may publish redacted case summaries, interpretations of applicable laws, analyses of Terms of Service, reasoning behind decisions, guidance for future cases. These publications never reveal identifying information about victims and are crafted to avoid re-exposing harmful content.
Strong governance is not a bureaucratic ornament; it is a protection mechanism. By ensuring that every takedown is legally warranted, contractually justified, and reviewable through an independent process, NCVIC safeguards the legitimacy of each intervention. This rigor prevents wrongful removals, strengthens the enforceability of rightful ones, and builds the trust that survivors need when they are navigating some of the most traumatic moments of their lives. When our processes are disciplined and our decisions withstand scrutiny, victims receive faster relief, more durable protections, and a system that truly acts in their best interests.
NCVIC is assembling a diverse and independent Oversight Board with expertise in: law, infrastructure governance, policy, technology, and victim advocacy.
If you are interested in serving on the Oversight Board or contributing your expertise, please contact us at contact@ncvic.org
