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uk Sexual violence & highly sensitive situations

What to do if…
you discover an explicit deepfake image or video of yourself

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Get support before trying to handle it alone: save the link and key details, report it on the platform, and contact the Revenge Porn Helpline if you are 18 or over in the UK.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t reply, negotiate, or confront the person while you are distressed.
  • Don’t publicly repost the deepfake to warn people, because that can spread it further.
  • Don’t send the file around for confirmation.
  • Don’t hand over more photos, videos, ID documents, login codes, or money to anyone demanding them.
  • Don’t delete every message or account in a panic if you may want help or a report later.
  • Don’t assume you have to identify who made it before you can ask for help.

What to do now

  1. Get to a steadier pause. Move away from anyone pressuring you, put the device down for a minute if you need to, and ask one trusted person to sit with you while you do the next steps.

  2. Record the essentials without spreading it. Write down the site or app, the account name, the exact URL, and when you found it. If it arrived by message, keep the thread.

  3. Use the platform’s report route. Choose the closest category, such as intimate image abuse, sexual content shared without consent, impersonation, harassment, or a fake intimate image or video of you.

  4. Contact the specialist UK adult service if you are 18 or over. The Revenge Porn Helpline supports adult victims in the UK and can help with reporting and removal options.

  5. Consider StopNCII.org if it is an intimate image or video. It creates a digital fingerprint, called a hash, on your device. Participating platforms can use that hash to look for matches and may remove matching content if it breaks their intimate image abuse policy. It does not remove images from the whole internet.

  6. If you are being threatened, blackmailed, stalked, or feel physically unsafe, prioritise safety over takedown. Go somewhere safer if you can. If there is immediate danger, call 999. For non-emergency police help, you can contact police via 101 or use the reporting routes on Police.uk.

  7. If you are under 18, use the child and young person route. Do not share the image or video further. Report it to the platform, use Report Remove through Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, and consider CEOP if an adult is contacting, pressuring, exploiting, or sexually threatening you online.

If you may want to report later, keep the URL, account details, message thread, and one or two screenshots showing the page and date or time on your device. Do not forward or repost the file.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether to confront anyone.
  • You do not need to prove to everyone that it is fake.
  • You do not need to make a public statement now.
  • You can leave legal advice, school or workplace disclosure, and wider reputation clean-up until you have specialist support.

Important reassurance

This is not your fault. Feeling shocked, sick, numb, angry, or desperate to fix it immediately is a common reaction to a violating situation. There are established UK routes for support, reporting, and reducing the spread of this kind of content.

Scope note

These are first steps to stabilise the situation, reduce further spread, and connect you with specialist help. Later decisions about police reports, legal options, safeguarding, or ongoing safety planning may need specialist support.

Important note

This guide is general information for urgent first steps only. It is not legal, medical, therapeutic, financial, or other professional advice. If you feel at risk right now, prioritise immediate safety and emergency help.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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