Sexting Safety: Protect Your Photos, Stop Sextortion (18+)

The 60-Second Checklist

Adults only, consent only. Both of you 18+ and both keen.
No face, no tattoos, no giveaway backgrounds in the same shot as your body.
Strip location data before sending.
Never pay anyone who threatens to share your photos.
Never share someone else's photos. Ever.

Before You Send Anything

Do you know who this is? Someone you've met or video-called is far safer than a profile you met an hour ago.
Did they ask? Only send what's wanted.
Could you live with it being seen? Any image can be saved, even on "disappearing" apps.
Are they definitely an adult? If there's any doubt, stop.

Protect Your Photos

Keep it anonymous

Leave your face out, or at least out of the explicit shots.
Cover or crop tattoos, piercings and birthmarks.
Check the background: mail, photos on the wall, a recognisable view.

Strip the hidden data

iPhone: in the share sheet tap Options and switch off Location / All Photos Data.
Android: turn off location tags in your camera settings.
A screenshot of the photo usually carries no location data either.

Choose where you send

End-to-end encrypted apps with disappearing or view-once messages reduce casual saving.
They don't stop someone photographing their screen, so they're a seatbelt, not a guarantee.
Keep intimate photos out of folders that sync to shared or family cloud accounts.

Red Flags: Stop Sending

They push hard for photos early, or keep asking after you've said no.
They won't video call or send anything that proves who they are.
They quickly move you to another app or send you a link to "verify" yourself.
They ask for money, gift cards or crypto, or mention a problem only money can fix.
They seem younger than they claim. Stop immediately.

If Someone Threatens You (Sextortion)

Sextortion is when someone threatens to share your intimate images unless you pay or send more. It's common, it's a crime, and it is not your fault.

Don't pay and don't send more. Paying almost always leads to more demands.
Stop replying, but don't delete the conversation yet.
Screenshot everything: messages, profile, usernames, payment details they gave.
Report and block the account on the platform.
Report it to the police. In the US you can also report at IC3.gov.
Use StopNCII.org (adults) to help stop the images being shared on participating platforms.

If Your Photos Were Shared

Report the images to every site or app they appear on. Most remove non-consensual intimate images.
Create hashes with StopNCII.org so participating platforms block re-uploads.
Ask Google to remove non-consensual explicit images from search results using its personal-content removal request.
If the images were taken when you were under 18, Take It Down (NCMEC) can help remove them.
Talk to someone you trust. You did nothing wrong.

Never Share Someone Else's Photos

Forwarding, posting or "trading" someone's intimate images without their consent is illegal in many countries and can do lasting harm. A photo sent to you was sent to you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove location data from a photo?

On iPhone, tap Options on the share sheet and turn off Location (or All Photos Data) before sending. On Android, turn off location tags in your camera settings. Screenshots of a photo usually carry no location either.

Are disappearing messages safe for nudes?

Safer, not safe. "View once" and disappearing messages stop casual saving, but anyone can photograph their screen with another phone. Only send what you'd survive being seen.

Someone is threatening to share my nudes unless I pay. What do I do?

Don't pay and stop replying. Paying usually leads to more demands. Screenshot the messages and profile, report the account on the platform, and report it to the police. StopNCII.org helps adults block their intimate images from being shared on participating platforms.

My nudes were leaked. Can I get them taken down?

Often, yes. Report the images to the site or app they're on, use StopNCII.org to create hashes that participating platforms block, and use Google's request form for removing non-consensual explicit images from search results.

What if the person I'm talking to might be under 18?

Stop immediately. Sexual messages or images involving anyone under 18 are illegal everywhere, whatever they say about their age.