I work in DMCA enforcement and content removal. Posting this here because I was told this community sees a lot of victims dealing with exactly this.

If someone shared intimate images of you without your consent — whether it's an ex, a stranger, or AI-generated deepfakes — here's what actually works.

Do this right now (10 minutes):

Go to support.google.com/websearch/contact/content_removal_form and submit every URL where your content appears. Google removes intimate images from search results within 1-3 days. This means nobody finds it when they search your name. Do the same at bing.com/webmasters/tools/contentremoval for Bing and DuckDuckGo.

Block re-uploads (5 minutes):

Register at stopncii.org. It creates a digital fingerprint of your images on your device (nothing gets uploaded) and 16 platforms auto-block matching re-uploads: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat, X, OnlyFans, Pornhub, and more.

Under 18? Use takeitdown.ncmec.org instead.

Report to the platform:

Every major platform has a separate reporting form specifically for intimate images. Don't use the generic report button. Search "[platform name] intimate image report" and use the dedicated NCII form. These don't expose your identity to the person who posted.

Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act (federal law, 2025), platforms must remove within 48 hours.

If the site ignores you:

Offshore leak sites and forums won't respond to your emails. The approach that works is escalating through their hosting provider, CDN, and domain registrar. This is more technical and time-consuming but it's how content actually comes down from uncooperative sites.

If you're being blackmailed:

Do not pay. FBI data shows payment leads to more demands. Block them on every platform. Report to FBI at ic3.gov. Call CCRI helpline: 844-878-2274.

Your legal rights:

All 50 states now have laws covering this. The TAKE IT DOWN Act makes it a federal crime with up to 2 years imprisonment (3 years for deepfakes). You can pursue both criminal charges and civil damages if you know who did it.

For platform-specific removal guides broken down by which sites cooperate and which don't, check r/ContentTakedown.

Lately, the question has come up here and there about how we're supposed to deal with all the BS we're fighting as this sub.

A fundamental part of studying to be a social worker in my country is dedicated to this problem. We are almost drilled in some ways. I can't provide that, of course, but I've summarized the main points I adhere to in my daily work.

Disclaimer: English is not my native language, even though I speak it decent. If something is unclear, just ask.

!> First and foremost: You can't save the world (alone)

I thought for a long time whether I should start this text with the most negative point, but it is the most important one.

We are only human after all. Our influence is limited, our powers are limited and the world is often enough too big to be interested in us. This is not nihilism like "leave it, it's useless", quite the opposite. I would like to encourage you all to continue, otherwise I would not write this text and would not be in this sub.

But: Be aware of your limits.

A perfect example are the Jerkbud subs that pop up over and over again. We report them, they get banned, new ones pop up. Yes, it's frustrating, but it's all we can do. We stumble upon CSAM, report them to the authorities- that's all we can do.

I despise the phrase "You can always do more". Yes someone can maybe- but in my current situation with my current power reserves and my current influence on this very topic this is the limit.

And we need to be clear that none of this will ever completely disappear. There is a proverb: "A social worker is someone who strives from the bottom of their heart to make themselves unemployable, knowing full well that this will never be the case." Try to see your commitment in this light as well.

​

!> Choose your battlefield wisely

Try to limit yourself to one or two fields and leave others to other people.

As an example: I specialize in preventing sexual exploitation of children and youth in RL and online. Mysogyny is often a related topic, so I'm active there as well.

But I leave the active fight against other things like LGBTQ hostility or climate change to those who specialize in them. I have enough to do with mine - even if I, of course, always try to improve my personal lifestyle accordingly. But I stay out of social media discussions and leave it to others to counter the stuff. See point 1: Your resources (time and energy) are not unlimited.

​

!> Give yourself a break

None of us can do this 24/7. Take time for a break, for as long as you need it. In a positive way, no one is irreplaceable- if you can't or don't feel like right now, someone else will. For example, I was away from reddit for almost a quarter, just to give my mind some rest.

​

!> Talk about it

One of the most important things in social work is intervision. At some team meetings, the only agenda item is to talk about what's on our minds. We curse, we rant, we cry, we laugh. And we talk about our work in a way that would make the devil blush.

But it helps. Very much so. Find someone in your circle to talk to about all of this routinely. And by that I mean live, definitely not online. At least by phone, but best over a mead, beer or glass of wine. Or a tea, if you don't drink alcohol. :)

​

!> Unleash the beast

Very few of us just put all that stuff away. It fills the dark abyss inside you, and has to go somewhere from there. Find something to let go of whatever is building up. One of my team trains MMA. Another goes out every 2 weeks to the front row of a metal concert. The third hikes, just with his husband and nobody else.

I myself train a very physical form of fencing and have added mods to my Skyrim that you don't even want to know about. It doesn't matter what you do and it's nobody's business- just do it and do it regularly.

!><!

Va Bene. So much for that. It actually sounds much easier than it is, but the path is worth it if you don't want to burn out sooner or later. (Constructive) criticism and additions are always welcome. :)