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My Ex Posted My Photos Online. What Do I Do? (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Your ex posted your private photos online? Here's what to do first: save evidence, get them removed fast, and know your rights. Step by step.

2 min readPublished Aug 20, 2026
My Ex Posted My Photos Online. What Do I Do? (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

First, this isn't your fault

What your ex did has a name: image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), also called non-consensual intimate images (NCII). Sharing a private sexual image of you without your permission is a crime in nearly every U.S. state and under federal law. It doesn't matter that you took the photo or sent it to your ex at the time; consent to share privately is not consent to post publicly.

Save the evidence before you delete or report

Capture a screenshot showing the image, caption, and username; the full URL; the date and time; and any messages where your ex admits it or threatens you. Store copies in more than one place. Don't contact your ex or respond to taunts.

Get the images taken down

Report to the platform first. Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms must remove a valid request within 48 hours, for real and AI-generated images alike. If they ignore you, file with the FTC at takeitdown.ftc.gov. Ask Google to de-index the images from search. StopNCII.org (18+) can fingerprint your images so participating platforms block re-uploads, though it doesn't remove what's already posted.

Report it to law enforcement

You can file a police report and ask them to reference your state's non-consensual intimate image law. If local police say they can't help, federal options and the removal steps above don't depend on police acting.

Get support

Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Crisis Helpline: 844-878-2274, 24/7. RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673. If your ex was abusive, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) can help you safety-plan.

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