Your questions, our answers

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There are naked pictures/videos of me on the Internet. What do I do?

You've come to the right place. Here we have put together a checklist of the most important things for you to do first.

Someone is threatening to post my nudes online. What should I do?

Anyone who shares a private picture of you without your permission may be liable to prosecution (in Germany). This also applies if you have agreed to taking the picture and/or sent them yourself. Often people don't understand this and it helps them to keep this in mind. Practical tips are also:

  • Inform the person that it is a criminal offence. If you can, consult a lawyer. Here is a possible text to send to the person threatening you:
    "Hello xx, what you are doing, you threatning me to share my nudes, is punishable under German law - see § 240 StGB. Should you actually publish the pictures, this is also a criminal offence - see § 201 StGB and §33 KUG. You could be looking at up to two years imprisonment. I therefore demand that you immediately take back the threat and delete the pictures".

  • Report the person's social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, What's App, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter (or ask a friend to do it)

  • Document the threats, e.g. take screenshots or record them with your phone

  • Tell people about the pictures and that someone threatens you. We understand that this sounds impossible at first, but try to think about it anyway. It's NOT YOUR FAULT and it's simply not okay to blackmail you - more people will understand that than you might think

I am scared that this could come out, and feel constantly panicked.

It is completely normal that you feel like this! On the women's helpline, you can always talk to women who can help you. You can reach them at: +49 8000 116 016 and also chat online. If you would like to hear from another ANNA NACKT*, let us know.

I feel so embarrassed and ashamed. Who can I talk to?

It is important to keep reminding you that THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT. But these these feelings are completely normal, and we really believe that it helps to talk to someone who has been through this. You can always call the Women's Helpline at +49 8000 116 016, and if you want to hear from another ANNA NACKT*, let us know.

How can I contact the websites where my images/videos are being shown?

Below you will find a template of a message you can send. Many of these types of website have a contact form for this purpose, which you can usually find in the footer of the website, or under "Help", "Contact Us" or “About Us”. If there is no contact form, you can find the contact data in the imprint or privacy policy.

Also look for the word "DMCA" ("Digital Millennium Copyright Act"). This is the law that prohibits others from uploading content without your consent. In some cases you can use this as a reason for contacting us in the contact form.

Based on our experience, we currently recommend that you first inform the website, then take screenshots and then file a legal complaint.

Contact template:

"Dear all,

I urgently request that you remove the following content from your website immediately: [add link(s)]. These images/videos show me, and have been uploaded without my consent. Note that I have filed a police report, and therefore expect you to remove the content within the next 24 hours.  

Thank you, [name]"

I would like to go to a support organization. Where can I find one around me?

The association Frauen gegen Gewalt e.V. has a very helpful database of local organizations. You can find it here (unfortunately in German).

What can I do so that the search engines no longer display my images/videos (or links)?

Below you’ll find a template message. Send this via the search engine’s contact forms:

Contact template

"Dear all,

I urgently request that you remove the following content from your website immediately: [add link(s)]. These images/videos show me, and have been uploaded without my consent. Note that I have filed a police report, and therefore expect you to remove the content to removed from the search engine within the next 24 hours.  

Thank you, [name]" 

How should I document what has happened?

No matter what situation you are in, it is very important to write down what has happened as soon as possible, and to collect all available information. You should do this even if you don’t want to report the issue. We suggest you:

1) Take screenshots The screenshots should show the images of you, as well as all clues to possible perpetrators*.

2) Save URLs

3) Write down key details

Take note of the most important things, for example:

  • Do you have a suspicion who could be responsible for this?

  • How/from whom did you find out that your images were online?

  • Who had access to your images and when?

Often it helps to create a timeline to capture key events such as:

  • When did you take the pictures?

  • When did you sent them and to whom?

  • When did you bring your phone/laptop/tablet for repair?

  • When did you leave your phone/laptop/tablet somewhere were people could easily access it?

It is best to store this information on your computer (ideally on an external hard drive) and not on the cloud. You can then use the information in your conversation with the police or other legal representatives.