If you are reading this because someone is threatening to publish intimate photos or videos of you, the first thing to know is this: it is not your fault and it can be dealt with. These are the steps we recommend.
What you should not do
- Do not pay. Paying almost never ends the threat: it usually leads to further demands.
- Do not delete anything. Not the messages, not the profile, not the chat. They are the evidence.
- Do not keep talking or negotiating. Stop replying.
What you should do
- Take screenshots of the messages, the profile of the person threatening you, and the date and time. Copy any URLs.
- Block the person after saving the evidence.
- Check your privacy settings on social media: hide your friends and followers lists, which is what extortionists usually use to put pressure on you.
- Report it to the police. In Spain that means the Policía Nacional or the Guardia Civil (in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Navarre, also the regional police). It is a crime and they investigate it, and foreigners can report it just like residents. In an emergency, call 112.
- If it has already been published, use the priority channel of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), which exists precisely to request the urgent removal of sexual or violent content shared without consent. It is free.
If you are under 18
Talk to an adult you trust. In Spain you can call 017, the free and confidential cybersecurity helpline run by INCIBE, the national cybersecurity institute.
We can help you today
If you need someone to guide you through the process, we will help you free of charge with the initial support and with the AEPD priority channel. Write to us and we will reply the same day, in English.
