Microsoft will partner with StopNCII to tackle the non-consensual spread of intimate images

Microsoft has announced new measures to tackle the growing challenge of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated deepfakes, the most important of which is a collaboration with StopNCII. StopNCII, a platform run by SWGfL, lets users create hashes—sort of a digital fingerprint—of their images (AI-generated or not) directly on their devices. StopNCII shares the hash database with its industry partners, including Meta, Reddit, and OnlyFans, who can then detect the images on their platforms and take action accordingly.

After testing the integration of StopNCII's database into Bing to prevent NCII from appearing on the search engine's results, Microsoft reports it has taken action on 268,899 images from the pilot's start and up until August 2024. Microsoft emphasized that it does not allow using its services to create or share NCII, nor does it tolerate content that "praises, supports, or requests NCII" nor does it condone intimate extortion—the practice of threatening to release someone's NCII unless they comply with requests, often for money or other valuables.

The partnership with StopNCII builds on Microsoft's efforts to remove any content directly reported or flagged by its partners. The company also continuously demotes low-quality content to make information and content from authoritative sources more prominent. Imagery reported through Microsoft's reporting portal that violates the company's policies on NCII is eliminated from Bing's search results and blocked in Microsoft's hosted services. As threats continue to evolve and affect the lives of women, children, and teenagers, Microsoft remains committed to ensuring its approach is always at the forefront of what is technologically feasible, supports policy and legislative changes that strive for justice for victims, and raises awareness of the impact the distribution of NCII has on women and girls.