Having intimate images shared without your consent is a violation, and it is not your fault. Whether the images were originally taken with your permission, created without your knowledge, stolen from a device or fabricated with AI, the harm is real: shame, fear, harassment and professional damage. The good news is that the law and the tools have changed considerably in recent years. Platforms have reporting systems, search engines have dedicated removal forms and a federal law now requires covered platforms to act quickly on valid reports. This guide gives you a practical sequence for getting images taken down and protecting yourself afterward. If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
1. What non-consensual intimate imagery is
Non-consensual intimate imagery, often called revenge porn, covers sexually explicit or intimate photos and videos shared without the depicted person’s consent. It includes:
- Images originally shared in a relationship and later posted or sent to others.
- Images taken secretly or recorded without consent.
- Images obtained by hacking or theft.
- Synthetic or “deepfake” images that put a person’s likeness into explicit content.
- Threats to share images in order to coerce someone, sometimes called sextortion.
Terminology matters less than the principle: sharing intimate images without consent is a form of abuse, and many laws treat it as a crime.
2. Your legal landscape
Law in this area has expanded quickly.
| Level | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Federal | The TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed in May 2025, criminalizes knowingly publishing non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones, and requires covered platforms to remove reported content within 48 hours after a valid request once their processes were required to be in place in May 2026. The FTC enforces the platform requirements. |
| State | Most states have laws against non-consensual intimate image sharing, with varying penalties and civil remedies. |
| Civil | Victims may be able to sue for damages or seek injunctions in some states. |
| Platform rules | Major platforms prohibit this content in their terms and provide reporting tools. |
For information about the platform process and enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission provides updates at ftc.gov. A lawyer or victim advocate can explain the rules in your state.
3. Step 1: Protect yourself and preserve evidence
Step 1a: Make sure you are safe
If the person who shared the images is threatening you or you fear physical harm, contact law enforcement or a domestic violence or victim advocate. The Department of Justice provides information on stalking and related abuse at justice.gov/ovw/stalking.
Step 1b: Document, do not distribute
Take screenshots that show the page, the URL, the date and the poster’s username. Record where else the content appears. Do not forward or repost the images, even to prove your case. Store your documentation in a private place, such as an encrypted folder or with a trusted advocate. If looking at the content is distressing, ask a trusted friend or advocate to help gather the URLs.
Step 1c: Do not engage the poster in public
Replying publicly can draw more attention. Keep communications minimal and written, and save everything.
4. Step 2: Report to each platform that hosts the content
Use the platform’s own reporting tool and choose the category for non-consensual intimate imagery, impersonation or harassment. Provide the exact URLs and state that you did not consent. Under the federal Take It Down Act, covered platforms must provide a process for requesting removal and must act on valid requests within 48 hours.
Tips for effective reports:
- Use the platform’s dedicated form rather than a general support email.
- Give each URL separately.
- State clearly that the content is intimate imagery shared without consent.
- Keep copies of confirmations and any case numbers.
- Follow up if you do not hear back within two days.
For websites that do not respond, contact their hosting provider or domain registrar, and report them to the search engines.
Curious what’s already out there? Wiperts’ 100% Free Diagnosis shows which data brokers are listing your name, home address and phone number. Check your exposure free — it takes about a minute.
5. Step 3: Remove links from search engines
Even after a page is taken down, or while you wait, you can ask search engines to stop showing it. Our guide on deleting things from the internet explains why copies persist and why speed matters.
- Google: Use the form for removing non-consensual explicit or intimate personal images from search, including synthetic content. Google can also filter similar results once a request is approved.
- Bing: Use Microsoft’s reporting route for non-consensual intimate imagery.
- Other engines: Check their help pages for similar forms.
This hides the link from results but does not delete the image from the site, so combine it with platform reports. Our guide to removing yourself from Google and the piece on removing an ex-spouse’s information explain how search removal works and how to track requests.
6. Step 4: Use hash-matching and proactive tools
Several services let you create a digital fingerprint, or hash, of an image on your own device so that participating platforms can detect and block matching uploads without anyone seeing the original. Examples include StopNCII.org for adults and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Take It Down service for images of people under 18. The image never leaves your device. These tools do not remove content that is already posted everywhere, but they help stop further spread on participating platforms.
7. Step 5: Consider law enforcement and a lawyer
Reporting to police can lead to investigation and prosecution, and a report creates an official record. Bring your documentation. Some jurisdictions have specialized units. A lawyer can advise on civil claims, protective orders, takedown demands and copyright claims. If you took the photo yourself, you may own the copyright and can use copyright takedown notices, which hosting providers often act on quickly.
If you are under 18, or the images depict someone who was under 18 at the time, tell a trusted adult and report to law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children immediately. Do not delay, and do not feel ashamed.
8. Step 6: Protect your accounts and your identity
Images are often one part of a wider pattern of abuse or intrusion.
- Change passwords on email, cloud storage and social accounts from a safe device, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Check cloud backups and shared albums for unauthorized access.
- Review devices for stalkerware or unfamiliar apps.
- Lock down social profiles and remove tags.
- Remove your address, phone number and workplace from people-search sites so that the person cannot find or contact you. See how to protect against online stalkers and defending against online stalking.
If the harassment includes doxxing, read doxxing can happen to anyone.
9. Step 7: Look after yourself
This is an emotionally heavy experience. Reach out to trusted friends or family, and consider counseling. National helplines and victim advocacy organizations, such as the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, offer free guidance and can connect you with legal and mental health support. You do not have to handle this alone.
10. If the images are AI-generated or fake
Synthetic explicit images are covered by the same rules in many places. The Take It Down Act specifically addresses AI-generated intimate images, and Google accepts removal requests for synthetic explicit content. Report the content to the platform, state that it is fake and non-consensual, and save evidence. A fake image still causes harm, and you do not need to prove it is fake to get help.
11. Three scenarios and what to do
Scenario 1: An ex-partner posted images on a website. Save evidence, report to the site and its host, request search removal, contact law enforcement and talk to a lawyer about a protective order. Secure your accounts and remove your address from people-search sites. See rebuilding online privacy after a breakup.
Scenario 2: Someone is threatening to share images unless you pay or comply. Do not pay and do not send more images. Save the messages, stop engaging, report to the platform and to law enforcement, and use hash-matching tools. Report fraud-related extortion at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Scenario 3: A fake explicit image of you is circulating. Document it, report it as synthetic, non-consensual content, use search removal forms and tell your employer or school proactively if appropriate. Seek legal advice about your options and read how to manage an online stalking response.
12. What to expect: a realistic timeline
| Action | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Documenting and first reports | A few hours |
| Platform response | Hours to a few days; covered platforms must act within 48 hours of a valid request |
| Search engine decisions | Days to a few weeks |
| Hosting provider responses | Days to weeks |
| Legal proceedings | Weeks to months |
| Images resurfacing | Possible; keep monitoring |
13. Common mistakes
- Sharing the images to “prove” your case.
- Deleting evidence before saving it.
- Reporting only one platform and ignoring search.
- Paying someone who threatens to publish.
- Ignoring your own account security.
- Trying to handle it entirely alone.
14. How Wiperts fits
Wiperts does not remove intimate images, and nobody should promise that. What the service can do is reduce the personal information that lets a harasser find you: addresses, phone numbers and relatives listed on data brokers and people-search sites. Wiperts scans more than 100 of them, submits removal requests, removes your personal results from Google and Bing, blurs your home on maps and monitors around the clock.
If you are dealing with harassment, start with the free diagnosis to see what an abuser could find.
100% Free Diagnosis: Check Your Exposure
Find out what data brokers have on you. Enter your details in the free scanner on the Wiperts homepage:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Select State
- Email Address
- Website
Scan Databases Now — no payment is needed to see your exposure report.
15. Key takeaways
- Non-consensual intimate images are abuse, and laws now require platforms to act.
- Preserve evidence without redistributing the images, then report to every host and search engine.
- Use hash-matching tools, legal support and advocates.
- Lock down accounts and remove your address and phone number from people-search sites.
Pick the Wiperts plan that fits your household
| Plan | Covers | One-time deep scrub | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | 1 person | $89 | $14/month |
| Couples (most popular) | 2 people | $149 | $24/month |
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Every plan includes removal of your name, date of birth, salary, home address and phone number from 100+ data brokers and people-search sites, Google and Bing search-result removal, home blurring on maps, and 24/7 monitoring that re-removes your data if it reappears. See plans and start your removal
16. Frequently Asked Questions
Can intimate images shared without my consent be removed?
Often yes. You can report them to the hosting platform, request removal from search results, use hash-matching services that block known images, and rely on laws that criminalize sharing. Speed and documentation improve results.
What is the Take It Down Act?
It is a federal law signed in May 2025 that makes it a crime to knowingly publish non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones, and requires covered platforms to remove reported content within 48 hours of a valid request. The FTC enforces the platform requirements.
Should I save evidence before reporting?
Yes, if you can do so safely. Capture screenshots with URLs, dates and usernames, and store them privately. You may need them for police reports, platform reports and legal action, but you should not download or share the images further.
Will Google remove explicit images of me from search?
Google lets you request removal of non-consensual explicit imagery, including fake or synthetic content, from search results. This hides the link in search; the image can still exist on the hosting site, so report there too.
What if the person who posted it is my ex?
Document their actions, report to platforms, consider contacting law enforcement and speak with a lawyer. A protective order may address further sharing. Avoid direct confrontation that could escalate.
Is there support for victims?
Yes. National helplines, legal clinics and advocacy groups assist victims with reporting, legal options and emotional support. Many offer free help, and law enforcement and prosecutors can explain local laws.
Sources
Related Reading
- How to Remove Your Ex’s Posts and Information About You From the Internet
- Rebuilding Your Online Privacy After a Breakup
- What to Do If You Are Being Stalked Online
- Being Stalked Online? A 72-Hour Response Plan
- Doxxing Can Happen to Anyone: How to Prevent It and What to Do
- How to Remove Yourself From Google Search Results
- How to Delete Things From the Internet: Posts, Photos and Personal Data
- How Can I Stop an Online Stalker? Legal and Practical Options
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