Revenge Porn

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Revenge Porn and Online Reputation: How to Protect Yourself and Recover

Posted on by Adam

This article discusses revenge porn and its impact on an individual’s online reputation.

Revenge porn, which is a type of image-based sexual abuse, is the nonconsensual distribution of intimate or sexual images with the purpose of intimidating or humiliating the victim.

In addition to the embarrassment of having their private moments shared publicly, victims of image-based abuse also deal with:

  • Cyberstalking
  • Doxing
  • Psychological harm
  • Workplace discrimination

Considered a type of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse, revenge porn faces both civil and criminal penalties. Revenge porn laws make it illegal for a person’s intimate images or videos to be shared without their consent. Additionally, in some cases, victims may be able to sue for damages. There are also advocacy groups that strive to improve online safety for potential victims.

Contact us today at 866-601-6803 to learn more about our content removal services.

What Is Revenge Porn?

A woman with long curly hair sits at a desk with her face in her hands, appearing stressed—possibly overwhelmed by issues like revenge porn. A laptop, notebook, and coffee mug are on the desk. Shelves with books and a large plant are in the background.
Disappointed woman office worker struggling through task, being unproductive, tired overworked female employee covering face with hands and thinking about solution while sitting at table with laptop

Nonconsensual pornography refers to the sharing of nude photos or sexually explicit images without the victim’s consent. Often, sharing or publishing private sexual images is considered a type of sexual abuse.

Intimate image abuse can be committed by anyone who wants to blackmail the victim or seek revenge, including:

  • Co-workers
  • Family members
  • Romantic partners
  • Strangers

Other motives behind sharing explicit pictures may be exercising control over the victim.

Sharing intimate photos violates the victim’s privacy and trust. They may feel blackmailed, coerced, harassed or humiliated. Moreover, the victim may have to deal with mental health issues as they feel distress and fear from their sexually explicit photos being spread around.

Legislation varies by jurisdiction, but most states have made non-consensual sharing of intimate images illegal. Penalties range from fines to imprisonment. Moreover, revenge porn that involves a victim under the age of 18 is illegal throughout the U.S.

Who Are Revenge Porn Victims?

A woman with an elegant updo and dangling earring faces away from the camera as paparazzi, chasing a revenge porn scandal, take photos of her, bright flashes illuminating the scene.
Photographers are taking a picture of a film star

A study involving over 800 undergraduate students found that more than 13% had distributed explicit images of someone without their consent and that more than 28% were victims of similar actions.

However, anyone can be the victim of revenge porn, regardless of their age, gender or sexual orientation. A-list celebrities as well as regular people who live out of the public eye may be victims.

The Take It Down Act

A brown book titled "Federal Law" in gold letters rests on a wooden table. Nearby are a blue book, reading glasses, and a black-and-gold pen—references to legislation addressing issues like revenge porn.

In April 2025, the Take It Down Act was passed by Congress. The bill “criminalizes the nonconsensual publication of intimate images” and requires mobile and online platforms to remove the sexually explicit material upon the victim’s request.

Certain guidelines must be followed when submitting a takedown request for private images. For example, the request must be in writing, and the victim (or their representative) must electronically or physically sign the request. 

You can learn more about the act here. You can also speak with our content removal experts by calling 866-601-6803 for more information.

Revenge Porn Laws at the State Level

A wooden judge’s gavel rests on a sound block beside two stacked books and an open book, with scales of justice and law books blurred in the background, symbolizing legal action against revenge porn.
Law.

Specifics vary by state, but examples of revenge porn laws in the U.S. include the following:

  • Distribution of explicit images, including emailing, posting or texting.
  • Deep fakes are included, meaning the sexual images or videos that have been altered, edited or manipulated.
  • Even threatening to share explicit images can result in a misdemeanor charge.
  • The victim had a reasonable expectation that the images would be kept private.
  • Subsequent offenses may result in increasingly serious charges and penalties.

Since federal law addresses revenge porn crimes for victims under the age of 18, state law typically focuses on victims who are 18 years old or older. Often, the private images are considered child pornography when the person depicted is under 18 years of age.

Taking Action: Protecting Yourself and Your Online Presence Against Nonconsensual Pornography

A person in a police uniform sits at a desk, filling out paperwork on a clipboard related to a revenge porn case. Glasses are placed nearby, and the setting appears official and professional.
A police report being filed by a victim of a hate crime, showing the legal response to such incidents

If you’ve been the victim of revenge porn, consider taking these steps.

Document the Evidence

As soon as you see the explicit images that have been shared, take screenshots and document the following:

  • Included messages
  • Timestamps
  • URLs
  • Usernames

Law enforcement will need to see this information. It’s also necessary to know where the explicit content exists for the purpose of removal.

Report the Situation to the Platform

Most platforms have reporting processes for nonconsensual intimate imagery. Submit a report immediately. This is one of the best ways to have it taken down and stop its spread.

Contact Law Enforcement

Revenge porn is illegal in most U.S. states, and in some cases, it’s covered by federal law. File a report with law enforcement right away. You’ll need a legal record of the situation in order to move forward with civil or criminal charges.

Get Legal Counsel

Look for a legal professional with experience in defamation and internet privacy. Your attorney will be able to send compelling cease-and-desist letters, pursue damages, and obtain court orders that require the removal of the content.

Hire a Reputation Management Expert

Online reputation management companies can remove or suppress negative and explicit content so it no longer appears in top search results. Additionally, an ORM firm can develop a content strategy to publish neutral and positive content that will appear in its place. Ultimately, working with an ORM company is one of the best ways to rebuild and control your online presence. 

We work on behalf of our clients to erase sensitive information from the internet. Give us a call at 866-601-6803 to learn more.

Seek Emotional Support

Revenge porn can take a severe mental and emotional toll on victims. Contact an advocacy group or therapist who can help you process your emotions and recover from the incident.

Monitor Your Digital Presence

Moving forward, it’s wise to keep an eye on your online presence. Set up Google Alerts or use listening software so you know whenever your name appears online. Being aware of new content that pops up about you is the best way to exercise control over your digital reputation.

FAQ About Revenge Pornography

Is revenge porn illegal?

In most states, revenge porn is illegal. Additionally, throughout the entire U.S., revenge porn with a victim under the age of 18 is illegal under federal law.

Why is revenge porn considered domestic violence?

In some cases, revenge porn is a form of domestic violence. This is most common if it’s used as a way to control, intimidate or retaliate against the victim by someone in a personal or romantic relationship with the victim.

Is it possible to remove revenge porn from the internet?

Yes, in many cases, removal is possible for revenge porn content. Often, you can report the content to the platform it’s on and request removal. Many major platforms have processes specifically for removing this type of content. 

Additionally, ORM professionals can remove or suppress the content so it no longer appears in top search results.

Final Thoughts About Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Revenge porn is a serious crime that comes with severe legal consequences on both the state and federal levels. Victims should know that they have legal recourse and don’t have to suffer alone.

You have a reasonable expectation that your most private moments remain private. Nobody deserves to be the victim of revenge pornography.

By taking immediate action and seeking help, victims have the chance to regain control of their privacy and reputation.

Get a free mugshot removal analysis today and sign up for a consultation with one of our experts. Learn more here.

How to Remove Images From Google

Posted on by Adam

Need to remove images from Google? Contact our Removal Team today!

You’ve just found a negative photo of yourself or your business on the internet. What’s next? Do you know your options? 

Thankfully in this article, we will reveal how to remove images from Google. In addition to also how to suppress unwanted images from search engines if you cannot remove the content directly off of the website(s) in question.

Unfortunately, Google does not care when or on what websites the pictures were initially published, or who distributed them. Google’s only purpose is to prompt the most relevant results on their results page baes on a specific search query.

This involves videos, blog posts, annotations, social media posts, and pictures. Positive or negative it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the end-user found what they were looking for.

What’s more damaging was that anyone researching your name can quickly come across these negative perceptions. This includes but is certainly not limited to, future (or current) employers, friends, family, colleagues, and business associates.

Just one negative image can have a detrimental impact on your future if you do not act fast. A negative photo referencing a business or brand can quickly turn into a viral meme that defames their reputation and affects revenue for more months, if not years to come.

Businesspeople can suffer credibility lose as well as a drop in respect over a single negative photo. Even worse, perhaps even their jobs become in jeopardy.

The poor news is that it’s challenging and labor-intensive to extract a picture from Google, Bing, and/or Yahoo. Once the content is distributed across the world wide web, it is next to impossible to comprehend and control. 

Nevertheless, there are various actions you can exercise to remove images from Google. If you are not successful, you can strive to suppress the negative image you see online.

Read on as we explain how to remove an image from Google search results and rebuild your online reputation.

Remove Images From Google
Remove Images From Google

Advice to Remove Images from Google

Most individuals believe it’s simple to remove photos from Google, that is if you know what you’re doing. 

In actuality, nearly all news websites scour content from other websites. The worst part is that these websites rarely confess to any contact information. 

However even if you know who to reach, the website owner may no response to, or even acknowledge your inquiry. 

You do have the option to file a libel lawsuit, but this may cause further negative content to emerge on the internet. Moreover, this tactic may burn a hole in your wallet.

Remove Photos You Control From Google

Seldom things get out of control and personal photos spread online. Sometimes, depending on the content, the photo may be shared more quickly.

Perhaps you’ve overlooked precisely where you published the disturbing photo. Maybe you weren’t the first person to post it online.

Regularly, removing the photo is as simple as logging in to your website, social media account, or whichever platform you used to publish the content originally.

Google may not delete the photo from appearing on the images tab immediately. It typically takes Google’s Support Team about one week to recrawl for dead or delete webpages. Rest assured it will be removed.

Removing Google Images You Don’t Own

It’s even more challenging to remove photos that you did not publish online yourself. If you remember the individual who took the photo, reach out to them and see if they will remove it for you.

The most useful strategy is to remain polite and request removal of the content. Take more actions if needed. 

Removing Google Images You Don’t Own
Removing Google Images You Don’t Own

Removing Sensitive Personal Information With Professional Help

Following special events, Google will assist you to remove photos from their search results. However, this is not equivalent to removing a photo from the internet complete. However, it still helps to reduce the vulnerability of the picture. 

Inspect Google’s Removal Policies to learn more about the circumstances in which Google will remove unwanted information. 

In most instances, copyright violation, revenge porn, and private/personal data fall within the spectrum.

Additionally, Google allows for filtered “Safe Search” that ensures that obscenities and other unpleasant photographs do not appear within the results. 

If the image that you want to be removed passes as pornographic or obscene, you may have it removed from the filtered search results by proclaiming it as offensive.

The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) may be capable to assist you in getting particular photos removed from a website. 

This exclusively fits if you are the photographer or the copyright possessor of the image.

Once Something Is Online It Is There for Good. Not on Google.

Whether you are presently capable of getting a photo removed from the internet, it is important to remember that it’s never really gone Unless you delete it from the initial source, even if Google blocks it, the photo will exist somewhere online.

Blocking images from Google results however it a great way to ensure that almost nobody will detect it in the future. 

Nonetheless, others searching for your reputation online will not be determined or competent enough to locate it, and for that reason, both suppression and removal are typically the most practical options.

However, it is something to bear in mind in the future when posing for a photo with a drink in your hand.

If you’re successful in your mission to remove images from Google, you can further expedite the method of removal on Google by utilizing Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool. 

This tool enables you to inform Google when an image is expelled from a website. Letting them know it should no longer show in their search results.

Negative photo on Google
Negative photo on Google

Bury a Photo on Google Images

Just like negative posts, if you can’t remove the photo entirely, it is best to bury or suppress them. 

This indicates the photo will still exist on Google, although it will be driven so far down the results that people exploring for you will not see anything.

The fundamental approach is to create and publish a variety of quality and highly engaging images associated with your name/business. 

By doing so you are attempting to “flood out” the search results.

Create Social Networking Accounts

Google prefers to crawl public pictures stemming from social media. This includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

These platforms can be especially helpful for getting your photo ranked within Google, Bing, and Yahoo. 

Upload various photographs that you would want to be related to you. Be sure to adjust any settings that might store the photos as private, meaning they will not be indexed on Google. 

Therefore the social sites that you create must be set to PUBLIC.

desktop with animated bubbles

Create a Simple Website & Post Blogs

In 2019 you can spend less than $20 and build a complete website on your own. Simply head over to GoDaddy and purchase yourname.com (i.e. johnsmith.com).

Purchase a domain name, create or work with freelancers to create a blog with your custom exact-match website. Furthermore, be sure to only upload photos that have your name in the file as well as the alt tags. 

Google will not recognize your face so when you save the photos to your computer using the following format as the file name, JohnSmith1.jpg, JohnSmith2.jpg, John-Smith1.jpg, etc.

It’s most helpful if your website includes your full name. Depending on the uniqueness of your name you may have to use your middle name as well.

If you get the chance to guest post or procure a press article be sure to give the publisher a copy of your face to go along with your “about me” portion for each article you create.

You can also use your photo as a profile image for forums, as well as other various discussion chatrooms. You should be cautious about what you publish online, particularly if you’re managing your actual name.

Cross-Promotion
Cross-Promotion

Publish High-Quality Proprietary Photos Only

While a stunning photo may not aid you with increasing the rank of a specific photo, it is possible that it will get more recognition. Meaning it may even deter searchers from seeing other images, especially the negative content.

Consider utilizing an experienced photographer to catch a series of exceptional headshots that will help you stand out.

Conclusively, you may not be able to have a negative image removed from Google. However, with persistence, it is likely that can alleviate some of the damage. 

In summation, be vigilant about taking, publishing, and distributing images of yourself that might be questionable or offensive. Monitor your online reputation in order to better prevent detrimental damage to your web presence and overall quality of life

To learn more about how you can have information removed from Google search please complete the form below. We will reach out to you as soon as possible with options.