Intimate Images Shared Without Consent: What to Do

Someone has shared intimate images of you without your consent: in a group, on a platform, in a chat. This is often called “revenge porn”. The term is a poor fit: nobody has a right to revenge, and this is not about pornography but about abuse with images. Responsibility lies with the person who shares the images, not with you, even if you once sent an image yourself. This article explains what is a criminal offence in Germany today, how images can be taken down and how to secure evidence without saving the images yourself. It gives general information, not an assessment of your case.

Are you being blackmailed, for example with a threat to publish more images? Don't pay and don't send anything else. What helps is explained in Sextortion: What to Do About Blackmail with Nude Images. In acute danger, call 110. Around the clock, you can reach the Telefonseelsorge (crisis line) on 0800 111 0 111 and the Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (helpline for women affected by violence) on 116 016.

Is sharing intimate images without consent a criminal offence?

Yes, it can be an offence under several provisions. Which one applies in a specific case is for the police, the public prosecutor's office or a law firm to assess.

Highly personal sphere (Section 201a of the Criminal Code, StGB). Protected are, among other things, images of you in a home or in a room specially protected from view. It is an offence to make such recordings without authorisation, to use them or to make them available to others. Even an image taken with your consent may not simply be passed on: anyone who knowingly makes it available to others without authorisation and thereby violates your highly personal sphere can commit an offence. Making available an image that is capable of seriously damaging your reputation can also be an offence. The penalty is up to two years' imprisonment or a fine.

Intimate areas (Section 184k StGB). It is an offence to take images of someone's genitals, buttocks, female breast or the underwear covering them without authorisation where those areas are protected from view, for example secretly up a skirt. Using or passing on such images is also an offence. Anyone who knowingly passes on an authorised image of this kind without authorisation can also commit an offence. Up to two years' imprisonment or a fine.

Right to your own image (Sections 22 and 33 of the Art Copyright Act, KUG). Images in which you are recognisable may, in principle, only be distributed with your consent. Sending an image to one person does not mean that person may pass it on. Violations can be punished with up to one year's imprisonment or a fine.

Images of people under 18 (Sections 184b and 184c StGB). Sexual images of children under 14 and of young people aged 14 to 17 can count as child or youth sexual abuse material. In that case, even distributing, accessing or possessing them is an offence. These offences are prosecuted ex officio.

Other offences. Threatening to publish images in order to force someone to do something can be coercion or blackmail (Sections 240 and 253 StGB). Anyone who repeatedly stalks you and spreads images of you in the process can commit the offence of stalking (Nachstellung, Section 238 StGB).

Do you need a request for prosecution (Strafantrag)?

For Section 201a StGB, Section 184k StGB and Section 33 KUG, usually yes. For Sections 201a and 184k, the public prosecutor's office can also investigate without a request if it sees a special public interest. Don't rely on that. The deadline is three months from the day you know of the act and the offender. If you are a minor, your parents file the request. More in Strafantrag: Deadlines, Form and the Difference from a Criminal Complaint.

What about fake nude images made with AI?

There is no specific criminal offence for deepfakes yet. Depending on the case, other provisions already apply today, see Deepfakes and AI Nude Images: What Is a Crime. The federal cabinet adopted the government draft of a law against digital violence on 7 October 2026. The draft would replace Section 184k StGB with a new version, making even the unauthorised creation of sexualised deepfakes an offence. A new Section 201b StGB would cover other deepfakes that damage a person's reputation. This is a draft. It is not in force; the Bundesrat and Bundestag still have to debate it.

How do you secure evidence without saving the images?

You don't have to save or look at the images to take action. For the police and the platform, what matters most is where the images can be found. Note:

• the link to the post, group or profile
• the platform, the profile name and, if known, who shared the images
• the date and time you found out
• a short description of what can be seen
• who told you about it

Don't take screenshots of anything where the images are visible. You can screenshot threats and text messages if no image is visible on them. Export chats only without media.

If you are under 18, or the images show someone under 18: don't take screenshots, don't save anything and don't forward anything, not to friends, not to parents and not to the police by messenger. That alone can be an offence under Sections 184b and 184c StGB. Just note the link and give it to the police.

How do you get intimate images taken down?

Report to the platform. Look for “Report” next to the post, message or profile, often behind three dots, and choose a reason such as nudity, sexual content or sharing without consent. The labels sometimes change. Under the Digital Services Act, platforms must accept notices of illegal content (Art. 16 DSA), tell you their decision and offer an internal complaint against it (Art. 20 DSA). If a platform does not respond, see Platform Not Responding? How to Complain Under the DSA.

StopNCII (18 and over). This service is for images taken when you were already an adult. A digital fingerprint of the image, called a hash, is created on your device. The image itself never leaves your device. Participating platforms use the hash to detect matching content. The service only works on platforms that take part, not across the whole internet.

Take It Down (under 18). For images taken when you were under 18, there is Take It Down, a service of the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Here too, only a hash is created and the image stays on your device. The service works with images you still have on your device anyway. Don't download anything new for it. Take It Down also only works on participating platforms. Get support while you do this, for example from Nummer gegen Kummer.

Civil-law action. You can demand that the person deletes the images and does not spread them again, and in some cases claim financial compensation. A law firm can tell you what is possible in your case.

Where can you get help?

• Police: 110 in acute danger. Without acute danger, you can report through the online police station (Onlinewache) of your federal state.
• HateAid: support for people affected by digital violence at hateaid.org.
• Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen: 116 016, around the clock, free and anonymous, in many languages, also for relatives.
• Telefonseelsorge: 0800 111 0 111, around the clock, in German.
• Under 18: Nummer gegen Kummer on 116 111, Monday to Saturday from 2 pm to 8 pm, in German. At juuuport.de, young people advise other young people online. Parents can call the parents' helpline (Elterntelefon) on 0800 111 0 550, Mon, Wed, Fri 9 am to 5 pm, Tue, Thu 9 am to 7 pm.

Frequently asked questions

I sent the image myself. Do I have no rights now?

You do. Sending an image to someone does not allow them to pass it on or publish it. Responsibility lies with the person who spreads it without your consent.

Do I have to look at the images to report them?

No. For a platform notice and a criminal complaint (Anzeige), the link and a short description are enough. Don't take screenshots of them.

Does StopNCII delete the images everywhere?

No. StopNCII only helps participating platforms detect matching content. Also report content that is already online directly to the platform.

Who files the Strafantrag if I am under 18?

Your parents or others with parental responsibility (Section 77(3) StGB). Offences under Sections 184b and 184c StGB are prosecuted ex officio anyway.

Report your case

You can report it through our form. Don't upload intimate images or screenshots of them. Describe what can be seen instead and include the links. If you say yes, your report goes automatically to a suitable cooperating law firm (Kooperationskanzlei) as soon as one is available. The legal assessment comes from the law firm, not from us. If there is no suitable firm right now, you get an email with other places to turn to straight away. Deadlines keep running: you can always file a request for prosecution (Strafantrag) with the police yourself.