On this page

The three kinds of leak

Kind of leakExamplesWhat is at stakeWhat to do
Intimate or private contentPhotos sent to an ex, a private video, screenshots from a video call posted by someone elsePrivacy, non-consensual intimate imageryTakedowns, StopNCII, Google, police if you choose
Paid contentOnlyFans or Fansly content, an online course, reposted for freeCopyright, incomeDMCA notices, delisting
Data breachYour email, password, address or bank details in a hacked databaseAccount security, targeted scams, identity theftPasswords, vigilance, bank, credit checks

"Leak" is also used for an album, a game or a document released before its official date. That meaning is not what this page is about.

Terms you will come across:

  • "Got leaked": someone posted your private photos or content without your consent.
  • Leaker: the person or account that posts it.
  • Leak vs doxxing: doxxing is exposing your real identity or contact details (name, address, employer). It often comes with a leak and can be a separate offence.
  • Leak vs deepfake: a leak spreads real content; a deepfake fabricates fake content. They can be mixed, for example real photos posted next to manipulated ones. See deepfake: what to do.

How to tell if you have been leaked

  1. Search your name and username in quotes on Google, then in Google Images.
  2. Run a reverse image search (Google Lens, for example) on a photo that might be circulating. Never upload it to a service you do not trust.
  3. Check your email address on a breach-checking service such as Have I Been Pwned (free) to see if it appears in known data breaches.
  4. Set up alerts on your name or username (Google Alerts, or Google's "Results about you" tool for contact details).
  5. Watch for signals: a friend or follower sending you a link, unusual messages, a sudden drop in paying subscribers.

What to do, by kind of leak

Private photos or videos posted without your consent

  1. Keep evidence (each page's URL, a dated screenshot) without downloading or resharing the content.
  2. Report every post using the non-consensual intimate imagery reason.
  3. If you have the image and are over 18 in it, use StopNCII.org: a digital fingerprint is created on your device, the image itself never leaves it, and partner platforms use the fingerprint to block it.
  4. In the US, platforms covered by the TAKE IT DOWN Act must remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. Our takedown templates include one.
  5. Ask Google to remove the pages from its results.
  6. If someone is threatening to post your images, read sextortion: what to do.

Full steps in our guide leak: what to do. In the UK, the Revenge Porn Helpline (0345 6000 459) supports adults; in the US, the CCRI Crisis Helpline (844-878-2274) is available 24/7.

Paid content reposted for free

  1. List the copies (forums, Telegram channels, mirror sites).
  2. Send a DMCA notice to each site, then to its host if it ignores you.
  3. Get the pages delisted by Google.

See our OnlyFans leak removal guide.

Personal data in a breach

  1. Change the password of the affected account and every account using the same one, then turn on two-factor authentication.
  2. Be wary of messages and calls that quote your details to sound credible (fake bank staff, fake support). Always call back on the official number.
  3. If bank details leaked, tell your bank and watch your statements.
  4. In the US, consider a credit freeze with the three credit bureaus; in the UK, check your credit reports with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
  5. If your details are used to open accounts or credit, follow our page online impersonation: what to do.

What the law says

It depends on the kind of leak and on where you are. Sharing someone's intimate images without consent is a crime under US federal law (TAKE IT DOWN Act) and in most states, in England and Wales (Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 66B, which also covers images that only "appear to show" someone, and threats to share), and in most EU countries. Reposting content you created infringes your copyright, which applies automatically in the 180-plus countries of the Berne Convention. A data breach also brings obligations for the company that lost your data under the GDPR and UK GDPR. This page is general information, not legal advice: a lawyer can tell you what applies to your case.

Get a leak removed

If your photos, videos or paid content are circulating without your consent, our leaked content removal service finds the copies, sends notices on the right grounds, goes to the hosts, gets the pages delisted and searches for new leaks every week. For a breach of your bank details, your bank and the official services remain the right contacts.

See pricing

FAQ

What does "leaked" mean?
Something private got out without consent: photos, videos, paid content or personal data shared beyond where they were meant to be.
What does "I got leaked" mean?
That someone posted the person's private photos, videos or paid content online without their consent, usually on forums, Telegram channels or leak sites.
Is leaking someone's photos illegal?
Sharing intimate images without consent is a crime in the US, the UK and most EU countries, and reposting someone's paid content infringes their copyright. A lawyer can tell you which laws apply to your situation.
What is the difference between a leak and a data breach?
A data breach is a hack or exposure of a company's database containing your details. In everyday speech, "leak" more often means private photos or paid content being shared.
Can a leak be removed from the internet?
Most copies can be taken down and made hard to find on Google, as long as you handle each site, its host and the search engines, then keep watching for new copies. See leak: what to do.
My data was in a breach. Could someone steal my identity?
It is possible, especially if ID documents or bank details were exposed. Watch for fake support calls, check your accounts and credit reports regularly, and consider a credit freeze (US) or Cifas Protective Registration (UK).

Sources

  1. StopNCII.org, FAQ (eligibility, image stays on your device, synthetic images)
  2. FTC, "Complying with the Take It Down Act" (48-hour removal)
  3. UK Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 66B
  4. WIPO, Berne Convention
  5. Have I Been Pwned
  6. Revenge Porn Helpline, how to get in touch
  7. Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Crisis Helpline
  8. USA.gov, "Identity theft" (credit freeze)
  9. Report Fraud (UK), "Identity fraud and identity theft"