It is an upsetting and frustrating situation when you find an unconsented image of yourself posted on any website, especially if that photo is an intimate, private photo that was given to a past spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend in confidence.
To add to the embarrassment and feelings of betrayal, many of these photos are being posted on revenge websites, such as revenge porn and cheater reporting sites, implying that the person in the photo acted unfaithfully or promiscuously.
Although the people you’re close to you may treat you with love and understanding throughout the situation, having your imitate photos posted on the internet can cause severe damage to your personal, social, and professional existence.
Eventually, these images can circulate to friends, family, and colleagues, so when you discover you are a victim of revenge porn, it is important to take action and stamp out the problem before it can spread further.
What is Revenge Porn?
Revenge porn is defined as posting sexually explicit or revealing images or videos of a person that are posted on the Internet, typically by a former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, without the consent of the subject with the intention of causing the subject embarrassment or distress.
How to Get it Removed
Every site has their own policy and procedure when it comes to removing revenge porn. Below are some basic guidelines for starting the process of removing your photos from popular sites.
On Facebook, one way to get the photo taken down is to report the post. Follow these steps to report the post:
- Click the photo or video you want to report
- Hover over the photo and click options in the bottom right corner
- Select Report Photo or Report Video
- Select “I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook.”
- Select “This is nudity or pornography.”
- Click on Submit to Facebook for Review
You can track the status of your report in the Support Dashboard
The options are also given to:
- Message [poster] — Has scripted message “Hey [poster], I feel this photo is sexually explicit and should not be on Facebook. Would you please take it down?”
- Unfriend [poster]
Or you can Select “This humiliates me or someone I know” and then follow steps 1-6 above.
When you select this reason for reporting, the options are also given to:
- “Get help from someone you trust” — This opens a message box with a draft message “Hi, I don’t want this photo on Facebook, and I’m not sure how to handle this situation. Can you help?” with an attached blurred out version of the image and who posted it.
- “Unfriend ______” — This will unfriend the person.
For more information on Facebook’s removal policy click here.
If you have an account with Instagram, you can report a post or profile for abuse, spam or anything that doesn’t follow Instagram’s Community Guidelines within the Instagram app.
To report a post:
Tap (iOS) or (Android) above the post
Tap Report
Follow the on-screen instructions
You can also report a profile or a comment.
If you don’t have an Instagram account, you can report abuse, spam or anything else that doesn’t follow their Community Guidelines using this form.
Reporting a Tweet:
- Navigate to the Tweet you’d like to report
- Click or tap the ˅ icon.
- Select Report.
- Select It’s abusive or harmful.
- Next, provide more information about the issue you’re reporting. You may also be asked to select other Tweets from the account you are reporting to give better context to your report.
If you do want to have these Tweets included in follow-up emails about your report from Twitter, be sure to uncheck the box next to “Updates about this report can show these Tweets.”
You can also report an account. Twitter also has a form you can fill out to report exposed private information such as revenge porn.
Google Search Results
Google recommends that you first contact the hosting website’s webmaster, if possible, to have the content removed at the source. Google also offers information on finding webmaster contact information via Whois. Removing the harmful content at its source is the only way to get it completely removed from the web.
To request removal, click here.
Answer a few preliminary questions so the removal request form loads. When asked what you would like to remove, select “A picture of myself.”
For the form, you are required to provide the same contact information as well as:
- The URL(s) you would like to have removed
- The URL of a Search results page that links to the requested URL(s)
- One or more screenshots that identify the content and verify it is still live
You can also report material appearing in search results that may violate your copyright by clicking here.
- Select “Yes, I am the copyright owner” or “I am authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.”
- Select Image/Video.
- Select Yes.
- Read the information about copyright ownership to determine if you are the copyright owner. If you believe you are, follow the link to the reporting form and complete it to the best of your knowledge.
Learn more about removing your content from Google Drive or click here to learn about removing your content from other Google products.
Consider a Takedown Service
Companies like DMCA.com can assist in you having revenge porn removed from the web. They offer takedown plans for all budgets and can help you detect and defend yourself against the unauthorized publication of your intimate photos.
A service like this can provide you with the tools, resources, and guidance to help you in your fight to remove your photos and protect your privacy.
Non-profit organizations like BADASS (Battling Against Demeaning & Abusive Selfie Sharing), can help you navigate the process of having your photos removed from the web through DMCA takedowns, while also providing free and accessible legal advice and other resources to help victims of revenge porn.
Find Your Everyday Courage with 50 Shades of Silence
Our mission is to give victims of cyber harassment, assault, bullying and revenge porn a voice and dignity. You are not alone in your fight to have your revenge porn removed.
Find your confidence and courage again with the Three Daily Habits to Free Yourself from Shame and Restore your Confidence and Creativity. This is a free resource to help Free Yourself from Shame and Restore your Confidence and Creativity after becoming a victim of revenge porn.
At 50 Shades of Silence, we have resources to provide you with a path and direction on how to get your revenge porn removed from major social media sites. Click here to learn more about how to get revenge porn removed.