Key points
- Consent to take a picture is not consent to share it
- Agree on storage, access and deletion before anything is recorded
- Faces, tattoos, rooms and metadata can identify a person
- Sharing intimate images without consent is a crime in many countries
- StopNCII.org helps adults stop images from spreading on major platforms
In detail
- Before recording: what will be filmed, which body parts or faces, who keeps the files, on which device, whether they go to the cloud and what happens after a breakup
- Consent can be withdrawn. If someone later asks for images of them to be deleted, delete them, including backups and copies
- Identifying details: faces, tattoos, birthmarks, jewelry, voices, mirrors, window views, mail on the table. Location data in the file can reveal where it was taken
- Cloud sync: many phones upload photos automatically. Turn it off or use a device that does not sync
- Events: most play spaces ban cameras. Never photograph anyone in the background
- If an image leaks: save evidence (screenshots with page address, date and username), then report it through the platform's form for non-consensual intimate images
- StopNCII.org (for adults) creates a digital fingerprint of the image on your own device; partner platforms use it to block matches. The image itself is never uploaded
- Sextortion: if someone threatens to share images unless you pay or send more, do not pay, stop contact, keep the evidence and report it to the police
Warnings
- Images you receive are not yours to forward
- A breakup does not end the duty to keep shared images private
- Shame belongs to the person who shares, not to the person in the picture
Resources and next steps
- StopNCII.org
- The reporting forms of each platform
- Victim support and online harassment organizations in your country
- The police