Removing Intimate or Fake Sexual Images of You From Google and Online Platforms

You are not alone

Having intimate images shared without consent, or finding fake sexual images made with your face, is a serious violation. It is not your fault, even if you took or shared the original image with someone you trusted. Many people go through this, and laws and tools have improved a great deal. Taking it one step at a time helps.

If you are in danger or being threatened, contact local police. If the person is a current or former partner, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can help with safety planning.

Step 1: Record where the images appear

Before reporting, note the web address of each page and image, the account or site that posted it, and the date you found it. Screenshots of the page can help, and Google's form explains how to take a screenshot that shows only what is needed. You can crop screenshots so they show only your face.

Important: If any image shows someone under 18, do not save, screenshot, or share it. Report it directly to NCMEC and law enforcement instead.

Step 2: Report to the platform

Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms, which include social media, messaging, and image or video sharing sites, must have a clear, plain-language process for requesting removal of intimate images published without consent. The law covers real images and digital forgeries, such as images created or altered with AI.

A valid request must be in writing and include:

Once a platform receives a valid request, it must remove the image as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours, and make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies. The FTC began enforcing these requirements on May 19, 2026.

• Your physical or electronic signature, or that of someone authorized to act for you.
• Information that identifies the image and helps the platform find it, such as a link.
• A brief statement that you believe in good faith the image was published without your consent.
• Contact information so the platform can reach you.

Step 3: Ask Google to remove the results

Even when content stays on a site, Google can remove it from search results. Google's policy covers:

Real images can qualify whether or not you originally consented to them being taken, as long as they were shared without consent and are not being sold commercially. You or a representative can submit the request. You will be asked for the web addresses of the pages and images.

Google says it tries to find and remove duplicates of sexual images from search, and you can opt out of that if you prefer. Remember that Google removal hides results from Google Search. The image may still exist on the site, which is why platform reporting matters too.

• Nude images and videos of you.
• Images of you in a sexual act or intimate state.
• Fake sexual or nude content that shows you, such as deepfakes, if you are identifiable, the content falsely depicts you, and it was shared without your consent.
• Pages that wrongly associate your name with sexual content.

Step 4: Block re-uploads with StopNCII.org

StopNCII.org is a tool for adults whose intimate images have been shared or are at risk of being shared. It creates a hash, a kind of digital fingerprint, of each image directly on your own device. Only the hash is shared with participating companies, which use it to detect and remove matching images. The images themselves are not uploaded.

To use it, you must be the person in the image, have been 18 or older when it was taken, be over 18 now, and still have the image or video.

If the images show someone under 18

Different rules apply. Anyone can report nude or sexual images of a person under 18 to Google. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs a service called Take It Down that helps people remove or stop the sharing of nude or sexually explicit images taken when they were under 18. Like StopNCII.org, it creates a digital fingerprint on your device, so the image is not uploaded or viewed by anyone. You can remain anonymous. It works on participating platforms that are public or unencrypted, and NCMEC notes that platforms may have limited ability to remove content that was posted in the past, so its CyberTipline offers additional help. Report threats to law enforcement as well. Never send, save, or share copies to make a report.

Step 5: Escalate if a platform does not act

If a covered platform ignores a valid request or does not have a removal process, you can tell the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. The FTC uses these reports in its investigations, and platforms that fail to comply can face penalties.

Police and legal options

Sharing intimate images without consent is a crime in many states, and the TAKE IT DOWN Act also made certain publication of non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated forgeries, a federal crime. Threats to share images, sometimes called sextortion, are also serious. Report threats to police, and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center if they come from online accounts.

A lawyer can explain civil options and protective orders. Victim advocates and legal aid groups may help at low or no cost.

Protect yourself going forward

• Secure accounts. Change passwords on cloud storage, email, and social media, and turn on two-step verification. See what to do if you are doxxed for an account security checklist.
• Watch for new posts. Set Google alerts for your name and check periodically.
• Remove personal details. If your name, address, or workplace were posted alongside images, use Google's results about you and people-search opt-outs.
• Watch for impersonation. If someone created fake profiles, see reporting impersonation of you.

Taking care of yourself

This kind of abuse takes an emotional toll. Talking with a counselor, a trusted friend, or an advocate can help. You do not need to handle every step in one day. Getting the most visible content removed first, then working through the rest, is a perfectly reasonable plan.

Rebuilding your search results

Once the images are removed, it can help to make sure your name shows accurate, positive results you control, such as a professional profile or personal website. See how to improve your Google search results for your name.

Common questions

Sources

1. Remove personal sexual content from Google Search (Google Search Help)
2. Notice and removal of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions (47 U.S.C. 223a) (U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel)
3. TakeItDown.ftc.gov (Federal Trade Commission)
4. StopNCII.org (StopNCII.org)
5. Take It Down (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
6. National Domestic Violence Hotline (National Domestic Violence Hotline)