Report Remove: How to stop your nude pictures being shared on the internet

Our investigation into online child blackmail hears how tech experts can stop images being shared without consent

Picture posed by model
Author: Mick CoylePublished 20th Mar 2024

Would you know what to do if you shared intimate photos online - only to find them being published without your consent, or used to blackmail you?

Our investigation into online teenage blackmail has been hearing how record numbers of children are being targeted by fake profiles on social media - then extorted over nude images they've been tricked into sending.

READ: Investigation: Number of boys blackmailed over nude images online is soaring

The Internet Watch Foundation has seen an 800% increase in incidents in the last year alone.

90% of the incidents involve boys, with the majority of victims aged 16-17.

You can have nude images removed from the internet

There are steps you can take if it happens to you.

The IWF works with the NSPCC on the Report Remove service.

This software allows staff at the Internet Watch Foundation to effectively put a digital fingerprint or "hash" on images they deem to be potentially abusive, and stop them being shared across internet servers.

It means images reported by young people are much less likely to be shared on mainstream platforms.

IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves told our investigation: "Once an image is on our hash list, which is deployed across the world, every single time, on the major platforms, that someone tries to upload that image or share it, it will hit our hash list and it won't be uploaded.

"It does give huge amounts of hope to young people.

"They know they can report, it's total non-judgmental.

"We want them to know they are victims and there's help out there."

Find out more about Report Remove and read more about how to stop your nude images being shared online.

What can I do if I'm being blackmailed over nude images online?

If this is happening to you, stop communicating with the blackmailer immediately.

You can report the blackmailer using the in-app reporting tool, or do it through Report Harmful Content

Remember, you are the victim, and you don't need to suffer alone.

Speak to a trusted adult, and you can speak to the Police on 101.

You can also report the images using the Report Remove service detailed above, so that they can't be hosted on other websites.

Get more advice on what to do through the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre.

You can talk to Childline on 0800 1111.

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