Discovering your content somewhere you did not authorize can be upsetting. A structured response can help you preserve options and reduce further exposure. Removal is not always possible or immediate.
Record the URL, username, date, screenshots of the page, and relevant messages. Avoid repeatedly opening or sharing the material. If the content involves anyone who was under 18 when it was made, do not download, forward, or redistribute it; use appropriate child-safety reporting channels.
Different reporting routes may apply to stolen copyrighted content, nonconsensual intimate imagery, impersonation, doxxing, or threats. You may have more than one basis for reporting. Being pictured in an image does not automatically mean you own its copyright, so do not submit a copyright claim unless you have a valid basis.
Find the service's abuse, privacy, intimate-image, or copyright reporting form. Provide the specific URLs and a concise description. Keep a record of submissions and responses. Be cautious of services demanding payment or sensitive documents before explaining their process.
For copyright-owned material, a DMCA notice may be appropriate for US-based services or services with US copyright processes. A formal notice may require contact information and legal statements; understand potential privacy exposure and consequences of false claims before submitting one. For other jurisdictions, consult the site's rules and local law.
Search engines may offer removal of certain explicit personal images or outdated search results. Removing a search result does not remove the content from the hosting website. For nonconsensual intimate images of adults, StopNCII.org may help participating services detect matching files using hashes. It does not cover every website or guarantee removal.
For intimate images made when someone was under 18, use NCMEC Take It Down and appropriate reporting channels. Do not upload the material to unrelated search or takedown services.
If a leak may have come from a compromised account, change passwords, revoke unfamiliar sessions, and enable available multifactor authentication. If threats or extortion are involved, see Scams, Sextortion & Blackmail. Consider trusted personal support, a victim advocate, or legal advice if the material is spreading or causing harm.
I am reporting intimate content posted at [URL] without my authorization. Please review it under your policies on nonconsensual intimate imagery and/or privacy violations. I can provide additional information through your official reporting process. Please confirm receipt and the outcome of your review.
Use a copyright-specific notice only when you are authorized to make that claim and can meet its legal requirements.
General information, not legal advice. Reviewed November 2026.