In the age of powerful internet search engines and social networking it is too easy for anyone (husband, boss, clients, co-workers, parents etc.) to connect your name to recently published, intimate pictures or videos that have been uploaded onto the internet. While we cannot stop what has already happened, we want to stop this tragic situation from happening to you, your family or friends.
Every day DMCA.com professional staff handle takedown cases for clients who have found their personal and very intimate pictures, or videos, published online for all to see. Their stories and situations are heartbreaking. Almost always their reputation has been severely impacted by the publication of these deeply personal photos or videos on the internet.
If you want to stop reading and just get help, click here for DMCA.com's Professional Takedown Service
Shockingly, in most cases, these very intimate, personal pictures or videos were found online by family, friends or even coworkers. To make matters worse, often the photos or videos were taken years earlier, long forgotten and long before a current marriage, relationship or employment.
Keep reading below for helpful tips and information to help you prevent and respond to revenge porn.
DMCA.com Fast Tip
Although wrongful publication of personal pictures happens to both men and women, the largest portion of the personal content takedown requests we see are women and teenage girls.
What is Revenge Porn?
Revenge porn, also known as non-consensual pornography, is the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of an individual without their consent. This form of sexual abuse can have a lasting impact on the victim's life, including personal relationships, professional opportunities, and mental health.
Fortunately, there are legal and practical steps you can take to protect your rights and privacy.
Remove the Content from the Internet
Removing the explicit images or videos from the internet is critical to protecting your privacy and reputation. Many social media platforms and search engines have policies against non-consensual pornography. The DMCA.com takedown team specializes in these types of removals from all over the internet. To get started right away, submit the DMCA.com Takedown Form to request the removal of the images or videos.
Protect Yourself in the Future
To prevent future incidents of revenge porn, take steps to protect your privacy online. Be cautious about sharing intimate images or videos with anyone, and make sure to set strict privacy settings on social media accounts. Avoid sharing any personal information or images with strangers online or through dating apps.
- Be cautious of sharing intimate images or videos with anyone, even if you trust them.
- Use apps and settings that offer end-to-end encryption.
- Avoid taking pictures or videos that show your face, identifiable tattoos or other distinctive features.
- Be mindful of the background of the images, as it can give away your location.
- Before sharing any images, consider the potential consequences.
- Use the privacy settings on social media platforms to limit who can see your posts.
- If you are in a relationship and wish to share intimate images, consider using an app specifically designed for this purpose.
- Be prepared to take legal action if someone threatens to share your images without your consent.
- Seek support from friends, family, or professionals if you are being threatened with revenge porn.
- Educate yourself about the laws and resources available to help you in your area.
Educate Yourself About Consensual vs Non-Consensual Pornography
It is essential to educate yourself about consensual pornography, which involves the creation and sharing of sexually explicit images or videos with the consent of all parties involved. Understanding the difference between consensual pornography and revenge porn can help you make informed decisions about your personal life and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
Know Your Rights: Laws Against Revenge Porn
It is important to know your rights under the laws against revenge porn in your jurisdiction. Laws vary depending on your location, but many countries and states have implemented legal protections for victims of non-consensual pornography. For example, in the United States, many states have enacted revenge porn laws. Familiarize yourself with the laws in your area and seek legal assistance if necessary.
Contact Law Enforcement
A critical step in stopping revenge porn is to contact law enforcement. The distribution of sexually explicit images or videos without consent is often illegal and can be prosecuted under criminal law. The authorities can help you take legal action against the perpetrator and gather evidence to support your case.
Get Help from an Attorney
For many revenge porn victims, the expense of hiring a lawyer is often unaffordable. DMCA.com offers a cost-effective solution to prevent the problem and proactively stop the spread of explicit images to other websites and platforms. Submitting the Takedown Form is an easy way to get your content removed fast.
DMCA.com Testimonial
I want to thank you so much for all of your help last time around with this. It was not only such a difficult thing I was dealing with (trying to remove so many very.. personal things that were shared) but it was an even more emotional situation with everything that was going on in my life at that time. You did an amazing job taking care of things for me, but more importantly, you definitely helped ease my mind and stress level. I've been meaning to tell you that for a long time now. So again, thank you. :]
Educate and Protect your Children
- Talk to your children, teens, and pre-teens, about the dangers of taking these types of pictures. What they see as innocent play can quickly be turned into something undesirable and often with tragic consequences.
- An innocent picture of mom or dad can make it online all too easily.
- No images or videos of your children or their friends in ANY state of undress, even jokingly, is unacceptable.
- How soon should you speak to your children about this? As soon as they have or have access to a camera, a phone with a camera, or a webcam. Or when they begin to play with your phone.
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.
DMCA.com Can Help
How long does it take to fill in the DMCA.com form to remove revenge porn?
The DMCA.com Takedown claim form takes about 3 minutes to fill out. We will do the rest for you. Our goal at DMCA.com is to make the process as fast and easy as possible.
How long until the revenge porn is taken down?
The length of time for the content to be taken down from a website can be hours or days. It depends on the site and conditions of the takedown notice.
One of the advantages of using a professional company like DMCA.com is experience and expertise in building and processing takedown notices.
- Experience means - the team is familiar with the site where your content is located and will know what it takes to get the content removed quickly.
- Expertise means - getting it right the first time. It is critical to get notice process right the first time to not waste time in the getting the content removed.
If you need answers about time, simply add a note to ask your takedown professional to provide you with an estimate of the time it will take to get your content down.
What should I provide to remove revenge porn?
You will need to provide the following information in the takedown form:
Infringing (Stolen) URL(s)
Where on the internet is your stolen content located? What is the link that you want the content removed from? Be sure to provide the URL or website/webpage link of the content you want removed. If the stolen content is an image or video located on a website provide the direct link of the content contained in the site. Copy and paste the infringing text, or provide the URL of the infringing image if required.
An example link would look like: https://www.badguy_site.com/webpage/image_2
Source (Original) URL(s)
Where was your content located when it was stolen? Was it on your social media profile? Was it from your own website? Provide the exact URL where it was stolen from, even if the content has already been removed from its original location. The original URL is still valuable to the notice. If it was not online you can reference cell phone, computer, or camera etc. If it was online such as a website or cloud storage provide the link to the exact page it was stolen from. You can upload the original content to a cloud storage service and provide that URL with an explanation of where it was originally stolen from.
An example link would look like: https://share.icloud.com/photos/my_original_content
Description of the Issue
What is the content owner's name and how was the content stolen? How is this content yours? How do you own it? Did you create it, buy it, copyright it? Who is claiming ownership of the content? Who is authorized to file the DMCA Takedown? When did you create the content and when was the content stolen?
An example description would sound like: "My photo I took of myself on my camera was stolen from my Google Drive and was posted on this website without my knowledge and I would like it removed."
If you are unsure how to collect the information for these three categories, the Professional Takedown Team at DMCA.com can help with the answers. Click here to ask us about your situation.
What if the revenge porn is on multiple websites?
Most takedown requests contain several websites or platforms. Our takedown signup form has all the space you need to add as many links as you want. Our team is familiar with the process of multiple website takedown notices. They will help guide you through what you need to do and know. If there is one site in particular that is of the most concern for you make sure and highlight that when you sign up for your takedown. It will help the team prioritize the work they need to do for your case.
What if I do not have a copy of the original content?
Not having source copies or information of proof can make the issue more complex, however it is a common problem. Our team is familiar with the process of missing source information for takedown notices. They will help guide you through what you need to do and fix. Please clearly indicate why this information is not available to add to your takedown form.
Related DMCA Takedown FAQ's
- What are DMCA Takedowns?
- What is DMCA.com?
- What is DMCA Protection?
- How can I file a DMCA Takedown Notice?
- How soon will my content be removed from the website?