FPJ Cyber Secure: StopNCII.org Ups The Ante Against Morphed Visuals

Mumbai: We live in the real world, but we breathe social media. And, if content goes viral in the digital realm, taking it down is like chasing rainbows. Cyber bullies or cons exploit this gaping loophole and often use morphed photos of the target to force them to comply with their demands. StopNCII.org (Non-Consensual Intimate Images), a Europe-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), has emerged as a significant upgrade in the digital arsenal against cyber outlaws.

Free tool

It's a free tool designed to assist victims in getting their obscenely morphed images and videos removed from the digital domain at their fingertips. The aggrieved can upload both their morphed and genuine photos to the site. The obscene visuals will be removed from social media platforms within a specific timeframe.

The tool functions by generating a hash from the intimate images/videos. Image hashing involves using an algorithm to assign a unique hash value to an image. Duplicate copies of the image all have the same hash value. StopNCII.org then shares this hash with social media companies to help detect and remove these images from online sharing. Importantly, the site does not download the images from your device and collects minimal data to run the service, ensuring privacy protection.

90% removal rate of illegal explicit visuals

The NGO is an initiative of the Revenge Porn Helpline (RPH), which was founded in 2015. According to the site's claims, it has successfully eliminated more than two lakh individual morphed images from the internet. With a striking 90% removal rate of illegal explicit visuals, StopNCII.org has also partnered with several social media companies. The RPH is a part of SWGfL, a globally well-respected charitable organisation. Established in 2000, SWGfL collaborates with numerous partners and stakeholders worldwide to safeguard everyone online.

Terming the NGO as an “authentic” tool, cyber expert Mayur Kulkarni said, “While it can remove morphed photos and videos from social media sites, it can't remove them from porn sites. There might be other sites like StopNCII.org , but their authenticity needs verification. Nevertheless, everyone should consider filing a case with the police as it's crucial.”