If your nudes get leaked: what to do

This is a genuinely stressful situation to be in, and there's no version of it that isn't upsetting. What follows is a practical order of operations — not a promise that following it fixes everything immediately, but a clearer path than trying to figure it out from scratch in the moment.

First: document everything, before reporting anything

Before reporting to a platform or taking anything down, screenshot the content itself, the URL it's posted at, and any usernames or account details involved. This becomes evidence for a platform report and, if you choose to pursue it, a police report — and it may not be recoverable once the content is removed or an account is deleted.

Report to the platform

Most major platforms — social media, image hosts, forums — have specific policies against non-consensual intimate imagery and dedicated reporting flows for it, separate from general content reports. Use the specific category if one exists; it's typically handled faster than a generic report.

Use StopNCII.org

This free tool lets you create a digital hash of an image on your own device — the image itself never leaves your control or gets uploaded anywhere — and shares that hash with participating platforms to help detect and block future uploads or re-uploads of the same image. It's specifically designed for exactly this situation.

Report to police

Non-consensual distribution of an intimate image is a Criminal Code offence in Canada, regardless of who shared it or how they obtained it. A police report creates an official record, which matters even if you're unsure whether to pursue it further right away — and many police services now have officers or units specifically trained in this kind of case.

Consider not engaging directly

It's a natural instinct to message the person and demand they take it down, but direct engagement — especially if there's any threat, demand, or blackmail attached — can escalate things or alert the person that action is being taken against them. If money or ongoing demands are involved, this may be sextortion specifically, which has its own, different response.

The emotional side matters too

Feelings of shame, exposure, or self-blame are extremely common here and understandable, but they don't reflect where responsibility actually lies — that sits entirely with whoever shared the image without consent. Talking to a trusted friend, and considering a therapist experienced with this kind of violation, isn't an overreaction; it's a reasonable response to a genuine violation of trust and privacy.