When you discover that a personal photo or video of yours has been shared without your consent, the top priority is getting the content removed as quickly as possible. In this article, we cover both the platform-level and legal steps you can take.
Step 1: Gather evidence, but don't spread the content further
Note the URL of the page where the content appears, the username of the account that shared it, and the date/time — you'll need this for the reporting process. Don't share the content with others or duplicate it beyond your own device — the goal is to reduce its spread.
Step 2: Use the platform's privacy violation reporting tool
Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok, among other major platforms, all have a dedicated, expedited reporting channel for "non-consensual intimate imagery." This channel is processed faster than general content reports.
Step 3: Use preventive tools like StopNCII.org
StopNCII.org is an international tool that lets you generate a "digital fingerprint" (hash) of the image without uploading the content itself to any platform, so participating platforms can automatically block it. This can help prevent content from spreading further before it's even posted elsewhere.
Step 4: Consider your legal rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, such violations may fall under privacy and data protection law and criminal law provisions related to image-based abuse; consulting a lawyer is advisable. Achernar does not provide legal advice, but can offer technical support with platform-level takedown.
Why is getting professional support important?
If content has been shared across multiple platforms in parallel (especially in "sextortion" cases involving blackmail), tracking and reporting separately on each platform can be difficult and exhausting. Achernar's Link Isolation service provides technical support throughout this process, from detection to removal.