A photo of me is online without my consent — what now?

For ordinary (non-intimate) photos: ask, report, then escalate with Art. 17 and portrait rights. Most cases end at step two — the sequence below keeps the stubborn ones moving.

1. Screenshot first, alwaysThe post, the URL, the account, the date, any captions or comments targeting you. Takedowns destroy evidence — capture before you act.
2. Ask the poster — once, in writingA short, calm message: “That photo of me — please take it down, I did not agree to it being posted.” Most people comply. A written ask also starts the record you need later.
3. Use the platform’s privacy reportEvery major platform has a dedicated “photo/video of me posted without consent” flow separate from generic reporting — it applies platform privacy rules, not just community guidelines, and works notably better. For minors, reports get priority handling.
4. Escalate legally: Art. 17 + portrait rightsTo the poster and, for sites, the operator: erasure request under Art. 17 GDPR (a recognisable photo is your personal data; a private poster publishing to the world has left the household exemption). Many countries add portrait/image rights that let you block publication where your reasonable interests are harmed — cite both.
5. De-index and chase mirrorsGoogle/Bing removal for name-searches (see the de-indexing guide), reverse-image search to find copies, repeat notices per host. For anything intimate or sexualised, switch immediately to the dedicated intimate-images route — different tools, faster queues.
6. Still up? Authority or courtDPA complaint (free) against uncooperative sites; interim court orders exist in most countries for serious cases and get granted against clear privacy violations. Damages for persistent, harmful publication are realistic — see claiming damages.

Verified against the sources above on 18 July 2026. Information, not legal advice.