Your Legal Rights: Revenge Porn Laws by State (2026)

If someone shared intimate images without your permission, you may have several routes to help. State criminal law, civil claims, platform reporting, and federal protections do different jobs. You do not need to wait for a criminal case to finish before requesting removal.

Find your state

Use our directory of all 50 states and Washington, DC to find state-specific reporting resources and legal references. Laws can differ on intent, identifiability, consent, privacy expectations, threats, and digitally altered images. Check the current statute and discuss your facts with a qualified local attorney before relying on a penalty or damages estimate.

An article is not a determination that a particular person committed an offense. Police and prosecutors decide how to investigate and charge a case; an attorney can advise you about civil remedies and deadlines.

Criminal reporting and civil claims

For threats, stalking, extortion, or distribution without consent, contact your local police or another appropriate law-enforcement agency. Keep the report number and the non-explicit evidence you already have: links, dates, messages, usernames, and prior reports.

A civil attorney may help assess privacy claims, damages, an injunction, or other relief. Ask about jurisdiction, likely costs, available evidence, and whether legal action would help your particular situation. There is no reliable universal settlement amount or guaranteed result.

Federal platform removal rights

Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms must act on valid removal requests within 48 hours and make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies. These duties are separate from the Act's criminal provisions. The FTC's guidance explains the scope, and the FTC enforces the platform requirements.

For what a valid request contains, read our TAKE IT DOWN Act guide.

A DMCA notice is for copyright owners or their authorized agents. Being depicted does not automatically establish ownership. See the U.S. Copyright Office guidance.

Illinois BIPA is a state biometric privacy law, not a federal revenge-porn law. It does not apply to every photograph or automatically create a damages claim because someone appears in an image. A qualified attorney can assess whether covered biometric processing and the other legal requirements are present.

Protecting a child or an image taken before age 18

Use NCMEC's CyberTipline and Take It Down. Do not download, screenshot, or forward sexual imagery involving a minor. NCMEC explains how eligible files already on your device can be fingerprinted without uploading them.

Getting the content removed while you assess legal options

Keep each source URL. Removal requests to the websites, and to Google and Bing for search results, can go in while you assess legal options; you do not have to wait for a criminal case. A search delisting does not delete the source copy.

IntimaShield offers authorized removal requests, follow-up, and applicable escalation for agreed links. Emergency removal starts at $499 one-time. We show your scope and price before payment; legal representation and ongoing discovery monitoring are separate. Read how our service works to decide whether it fits your needs.