iCloud leak victims update with special instructions

Several media outlets and online portals have released information claiming there has been a substantial leak of iCloud. Most of the news outlets have been focusing on the theft of content in the iCloud accounts of several high profile celebrities.
However this hack has also effected many people that uploaded and stored content to their iCloud account.

If you have stored sensitive and or intimate content (videos or photos) on your iCloud account at any time you may be a victim of this hack

Several victims of this hack (not just celebrities) have found their content published or uploaded to UCG (User Generated Content) sites.
Make sure to check that your information is safe. (see our how-to guide below)

 

If you have found your stolen content published online without your permission we can help you get it taken down.

Click here to get started: www.dmca.com/signup/createtakedown
Please see the special instructions below when completing the takedown form. This will help our case handlers expedite your claim to the takedown specialists handling the iCloud hack.

Whether you use DMCA.com Takedown service, another service provider, lawyer or go it alone DIY style please make sure to read our Takedown Action Guide below. It will save you time, money and further serious repercussions from the illegal posting of your content

Some examples of stolen content that have been part of this hack:

1. Pictures (personal or intimate photos)
2. Videos (personal or intimate video)
3. Banking or Financial Information
4. other sensitive personal information
5. Passwords

If one of these examples is like your situation we can help. www.dmca.com/signup/createtakedown

Victims of hacks can be:

1. people that have found their personal content (pictures or videos) hosted on another website without their permission
2. Organizations (corporate and non-profit) that found their content (as listed below) published on another website without their permission. Generally done to steal business, traffic or SEO rankings.

If these examples describe you, DMCA.com can help.

iCloud hack how to protect yourself instructions

Often during spectacular large scale hacks many news articles provide advice related to banking and financial information protection. This is of course very very important.
However very often what is missed is protection tips with regards to your personal content. Many people send very personal media (video or photos etc) using their smart phone and their email accounts. Very often at DMCA.com we see the results of this content going public. Often the impact to the users is appears equally as devastating as the theft of their other content. Someone's personal reputation can be severely damaged with the widespread publication of intimate content. This list below focuses on how to deal with the theft of your content.

1. if you haven't done so already change all your passwords - for everything you do. if you ever used your yahoo email account to confirm online banking or other service set ups hackers will now have that information.
2. where possible, implement two factor password authentication process
3. concentrate particularly on the security of all your social media accounts
   1. check to make certain the email address related to those accounts have been changed.
   2. Double check your privacy settings.
   3. check your children's accounts and other dependants' accounts
4. make certain to remove all content you do not want published online from all your devices - mobile phones, laptops, tablets, computers etc. Anything connected through wifi, wireless, cable
   1. check your children's accounts and other dependants' accounts.
5. search the internet for your name and variations of your name (DMCA.com does provide search and monitoring services)
6. search the internet using your email address(DMCA.com does provide search and monitoring services)
7. if you find content don't panic. create an inventory and keep looking. The faster you get it taken down the better it is. Content left online will spread
8. If you are a target of threats of any kind call the police

iCloud leak special takedown instructions

If you are a victim of the iCloud leak please include the following information in your takedown request form: www.dmca.com/signup/createtakedown

1. why you believe you have been a victim of the iCloud leak
2. when you believe the your content was stolen or published without your permission

Takedown Action Guide

It is often a shock when you find your personal, intimate photos or video online. DMCA.com's professional personal takedown staff put together this Personal Content survival guide to help take back control.

Follow this step by step user guide to make sure you can reduce or eliminate any negative impact of the online publication of your personal content

Guide for when your personal pictures are posted online without permission?

1. Don't Panic. Respond quickly. Faster the better. Be confident. Get help.
2. Contact the police - especially if
   1. you or the person in the picture or video were underage
   2. the perpetrator of this crime is known to you and you never gave permission for the pictures to be shared.
   3. Note: Often the authorities can help with the perpetrators of the crime but are unable to act if the photos / video has been uploaded to servers located outside their legal jurisdiction. Be prepared to deal with getting your pictures / video taken down as a separate issue.
3. Do not become a victim of extortion!
   1. Do not send money to hosting companies or website owners in order to get your content removed. If you must pay to have your content taken offline it is extortion or a bribe under most laws. If you must pay or follow some other bizarre process to have your content taken offline do so with a lawyer, inform the police and where possible have an internet specialist with you.
   2. Do not send or a picture of your ID to hosting companies or website owners in order to get your content removed. This is a serious act of privacy violation and not required within any takedown process, anywhere. If you must provide a picture of your ID to have your content taken offline it may be dangerous. If you do this or follow some other bizarre process to have your content taken offline do so with a lawyer, inform the police and where possible have an internet specialist with you.
4. Find as many copies and versions as you can. You are the best person to identify this content. Often it will be cropped or altered in some way so often you can identify it the quickest. Make a list. Like a weed if you can get at the source you can stop it from spreading. Often only one website was the source of the uploaded picture or video. It is important to get it removed from there and move on to the other sites, if there are any.
   1. Its wrong to assume that once your photo or video is off one (facebook) page the issue is resolved. It could have been copied and uploaded somewhere else. The longer the content has been up the more likely it has spread to other networks and websites.
5. Begin Processing (DMCA) Takedowns immediately! Faster the better. Do it now! Staying on top of getting your content taken down means you can stop or slow the spread. You can conduct takedowns yourself (DMCA.com has a very inexpensive DIY Program), use a lawyer or use a service likeDMCA.com's Professional Takedown Service. Regardless of the method you use, the quicker the better. Processing takedown can also help any legal action you have started or will start later. If you choose to conduct the process yourself here are a few important tips:
   1. Follow the (DMCA) Takedown process of website where you have found the pictures or video exactly. If the website has it's own policy follow that.
   2. do NOT be emotional in your description or request for removal
   3. do NOT tell a story or give background or incident details
   4. clearly the state facts related to the photo or picture usage - its your picture, or you are in it and you did not give permission to be used in this manner or you own the copyright.

If you have questions about your situation, we can help. Submit your takedown questions here: www.dmca.com/question. Be as detailed as possible. Include as many links as possible. Include complete details on content ownership and source.

Victims of the iCloud hack click here for updates and how to - iCloud hack victims takedown special instructions