Sharing naked or sexual images of someone without their consent is fully illegal in the UKunder the revenge porn law. Yet sadly, as we all know, just because something’s illegal doesn’t mean it won’t happen—the horrifying statistic remains that one in five men have shared nudes of women they know online.
But there are certain ways you can protect yourself from your nudes being stolen, shared or stored online without your consent and we’ve done all the research to help yourself safeguard against the worst-case scenario should your intimate images end up in the wrong hands.
Crop out your head
If you think about it, nude photos really are all about the bod so there’s really no need to include your face in the photos. Leaving your identifying features out of the pics could help you feel more comfortable and protect your anonymity. Plus, then you don’t have to worry about getting your pout perfect in every snap.
Keep your location unknown
We cannot emphasise this enough. Turn. Off. Your. Location. Features. Every image can be traced back to an IP address and leads the content straight back to you. If you’ve turned them off then your personal data is safe even if the photos are forwarded on. It’s also worth noting that including your killer home décor could also identify you, so maybe sacrifice composition standard for a plain background if you want to be super safe.
Store your nudes somewhere safe
Apps like Whatsapp allow your photos to be downloaded, saved, and shared without notifying you and that (obviously) is not what you want when trying to keep your nudes safe. Instead, try platforms like Snapchat that alert you when another user takes a screenshot.
Like Snapchat, apps like Photo Vault, Google Photos, and Apple’s Hidden Albums also have a handy feature where you can put your nudes into a locked folder so friends or anyone who happens to be in possession of your phone can’t stumble upon them.
Turn off iCloud and other automatic uploads
If you have an iPhone, ever picture you take is automatically stored in your iCloud account. In order to protect yourself against these accounts being hacked, it’s wise to turn off automatic uploads to keep your nudes secure on your device.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that if you share an Appld account with your family, your nudes could appear on the family iPad while your dad is scrolling innocently elsewhere and nobody wants that.
Trust the person you’re sexting with
Obviously, it’s hard to know whether you can truly trust someone. But there are some warning signs that might make you want to rethink sending them nudes. Basically, if you’ve only known this person for a short amount of time or you feel like they’re pressuring you to send the pics then maybe it’s time to pump the breaks. Remember, you always have the right to say ‘no’.
What to do if your nudes are leaked
If your nudes are leaked, try to breathe and remember that you’re now protected by the Revenge Porn Law, and you can report the case to the police if you’re comfortable with doing so. Also, never forget that the person that has committed the crime here is the person who has shared your naked pictures without your consent, and you shouldn’t feel any guilt or blame for sending the photos in the first place.
Before reporting the case to the police, you may wish to take screenshots of where the images have been posted, record when, how and with who you originally shared them for evidence. Additionally, you can report the photos to the website they’ve been posted on. Whether Twitter, Reddit, or Facebook, they all have protection policies to help victims in cases like this.