25 July 2026 · 5 min read
Someone Shared Your Intimate Images Without Consent: What to Do First
By Charlie Wells, Founder
You don't have to figure this out alone
If an intimate image or video of you has been shared without your consent — by an ex-partner, taken from a hacked device, or faked entirely — the priority right now isn't deciding who to blame. It's stopping it from spreading further and getting it taken down. Every step below can be done without publicly explaining what happened, and without deciding anything about police or legal action yet.
Don't confront the person who shared it — yet
It's a natural instinct, but confronting them directly first can tip them off to delete evidence, move the content somewhere harder to trace, or escalate out of anger. Documenting and reporting first keeps your options — including a police report or a civil eSafety complaint — genuinely open.
Document before it disappears — but don't re-share it
Screenshot the page it's posted on, the URL, the account or profile that posted it, and the date and time — this is the evidence a platform or police will actually ask for. Avoid downloading, forwarding, or re-uploading the content itself, even to show someone for support; that copy can end up in the wrong place, and it isn't necessary for a report to be actioned.
Use StopNCII.org to stop it spreading further
StopNCII.org is a free tool, backed by Meta, TikTok, and several other major platforms, that creates a digital fingerprint of the image on your own device without ever uploading the actual image anywhere. Participating platforms can then automatically detect and block matching uploads, including copies you don't know about yet. It won't remove what's already live elsewhere, but it's a genuinely useful step most people don't know exists.
Report it directly to the platform it's on
Most major platforms — Google, Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit, and others — have a specific reporting category for non-consensual intimate imagery, separate from a general "inappropriate content" report, and it's typically prioritised for faster review. Reporting through the right category, with the evidence from the step above, moves noticeably faster than a generic flag.
You have two separate paths beyond the platform — and they're not mutually exclusive
Sharing intimate images without consent is a criminal offence in every Australian state and territory, and reporting to police is always an option. Separately, the eSafety Commissioner runs a civil scheme, under the Online Safety Act 2021, that can compel removal without needing a criminal conviction, and is often faster. Neither replaces the other, and you can pursue both at once. This isn't legal advice — for anything specific to your situation, a lawyer or your local police can advise properly.
Where a confidential removal service fits in
Alongside a police report or an eSafety complaint, a structured removal process can push directly on the platforms hosting the content — evidence-led, and handled as its own confidential, urgent case rather than a standard review-removal request. Reputect's Sensitive Content Removal service works this way: a free, judgment-free assessment, a price agreed upfront, and no fee unless it actually comes down.
Related: Sensitive Content Removal
See Sensitive Content RemovalKeep reading
What Is Cyber Abuse?
Cyber abuse covers more than most people expect — including content sometimes still called "revenge porn." What the term actually means, and what to do next.
Is Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent a Crime in Australia?
Yes — in every state and territory, and federally too. But a criminal charge and getting the content taken down are two different processes, on two different timelines.