Phones and apps are now part of most relationships. These guides cover privacy, what to do if an intimate image is shared without consent, and safer online dating.
2 in-depth guides in this topic.
Once a private image is sent, you lose control over where it goes. Sharing or threatening to share someone's intimate image without consent is a crime in many countries, including the UK, India and the US. If it happens, do not pay or negotiate, keep evidence, report it to the platform and the police, and use tools like StopNCII.org or Take It Down to help stop it spreading.
7 min read
Stay safe on dating apps by checking that matches are who they say they are, never sending money or cryptocurrency to someone you have not met, and keeping personal details private at first. For a first date, meet in a busy public place, tell a friend your plans, arrange your own transport and stay in control of your drinks.
6 min read
Learn what consent means in practice, then practise the conversations that keep a relationship safe and respectful.
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No. Paying or sending more images rarely ends the threats and often leads to further demands. Stop replying, keep screenshots of the messages and profile, report the account to the platform, and contact the police. Many people in this situation have been targeted by organised criminals, and it is not your fault.
No. StopNCII.org creates a digital fingerprint, called a hash, on your own device. Only the hash is shared with participating platforms, which use it to find and block matching images. The image itself stays on your device. The service is for adults; for images taken under 18, use NCMEC's Take It Down.
Warning signs include photos that look professional or appear elsewhere under another name, very little personal detail, a story that changes, and constant excuses to avoid a video call. A quick reverse image search and asking for a short video chat are two of the easiest ways to check that a match is real.
Do not send it, however convincing the reason sounds. Requests for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency from someone you have only met online are a classic sign of a romance scam. Stop contact, report the profile to the app, and if you have already paid, contact your bank immediately and report it to the police.