What to do if someone posts a picture of you without your permission?

Asked by: Santos Funk  |  Last update: September 12, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (4 votes)

You may want to contact local law enforcement to see if it's illegal to post things like this in your state or country. If you want to pursue legal action, you may need a screenshot or other record of the post.

Is it illegal to post a picture of a random person?

In California, it is generally legal for people to take photos of others in public spaces without their consent. However, posting these photos online to make fun of someone's medical condition could potentially constitute cyberbullying, harassment, or stalking, depending on the specific circumstances.

Is it illegal to share photos without consent?

It's not a crime to send intimate images or videos of yourself privately to another person if you're both consenting adults. It's a crime to show intimate images or videos, send them to another person, upload them to a website, or threaten to do this, without your consent. This includes so called 'revenge porn'.

Can you go to jail for taking a picture of someone without their permission?

It is legal to photograph or videotape anything and anyone on any public property, within reasonable community standards.

Is it illegal to repost someone's picture?

However, the act of taking a screenshot or reposting an image necessarily involves reproducing and publishing the original work. This will likely be a copyright infringement, unless you have the owner's permission.

Take down that post!: What to do if someone posts video of you without consent

15 related questions found

Can someone post a picture of me without my permission?

If someone posts your content (such as a photo) without your permission and without proper attribution, they may be liable for copyright infringement.

What to do if someone has a photo of you?

You need to:
  1. report the picture to the website and let them know the situation.
  2. untag yourself if possible - this is where you remove a tag identifying you in the picture.
  3. contact the person who shared the image and ask them to take it down.
  4. get a list of everyone or every site that has shared pictures.

Can you sue someone for taking a picture of you without permission in public?

It can be challenging to file a lawsuit against a stranger who takes your photo while you are on public property. However, you may have a case if this person took your picture on private property. A restaurant, bar, or event posts your photo.

What to do if someone posted a picture of you without your permission on Instagram?

We worked with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative on this list of things that you can do and organisations that you can contact for support and advice.
  1. Document the post. You may need a record of the post if you decide to take further action. ...
  2. Report an Instagram post. ...
  3. Unfollow or block the person who posted it.

What is it called when someone takes a picture of you without you knowing?

However, if the intent is that the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is an extreme case of candid photography.

What to do if someone posted a picture of you without your permission on Facebook?

Facebook provides a number of ways for people to report imagery that they believe violates their privacy. The quickest way to report abuse is by using the Find Support or Report links located near the photo or video that you want to report.

Do I need permission to publish a photo of someone?

If you take photos of people, places or things and publish them, you need permission. Understanding when to use a photo release form will save you the headache of copyright infringement issues.

What to do if someone posts a video of you?

If someone posted your personal information or uploaded a video of you without your knowledge (including in private or sensitive circumstances), ask the uploader to remove the content.

What is it called when someone posts a picture of you without permission?

Even if they didn't know it's illegal, it's copyright infringement. There is even more confusion about giving credit. It does not matter if someone reposted your photo but gave you credit – it's still copyright infringement.

How do you report someone for posting pictures of you?

You may want to contact local law enforcement to see if it's illegal to post things like this in your state or country. If you want to pursue legal action, you may need a screenshot or other record of the post.

Can you sue someone for posting you on social media?

Yes, you can sue someone for slander on social media, but proving the case can be very challenging at times as you will need a lot of evidence and backup from your lawyers. Naturally, it is much easier for politicians or celebrities with powerful legal teams to win a case than for private figures.

Can you force someone to delete pictures of you?

In the United States, statutes protecting privacy and intellectual property rights can be used to make someone take down photos of you under certain circumstances.

What can I do if someone posts a picture of my child without permission?

Taking Down Posted Images
  1. Contact the website. If you notice someone else has posted a photograph of your child without your permission, immediately contact the website and ask about protocol for removing the photo. ...
  2. Request the publisher crop the photo. ...
  3. Seek a children's rights lawyer.

Can you post on social media without permission?

Many social media websites require users to agree, when creating an account, that they own the rights to any content they upload. If someone has uploaded your copyright work without your permission, this is an infringement.

What happens if someone takes a picture of you without your permission?

Photos taken illegally, on private property, or with defamatory intent may require a personal injury attorney. Images with minors or illegal pornographic content may require the government's help. Contact your local law enforcement.

How do I remove a picture from Facebook that someone else posted?

If you want to get rid of a post or photo that was posted by someone else on Facebook, you can't delete it yourself. You'll have to ask them privately to remove it. You can't remove a photo that others have posted, but you can hide it from your timeline or remove the tag.

Is it illegal to expose someone on social media?

The California legislature passed a law in 2008 which makes it illegal to post harmful information on the internet. Penal Code 653.2 states it is a crime to post about other people on the internet in a way that will cause them harm.

Is it illegal to take a picture of someone and share it?

Every day, new photos are uploaded to social media websites, often without the explicit consent of everyone in those pictures. However, sharing photos of someone else becomes an illegal act when that person sent you the photo with the expectation it would remain private, and the photo was intimate or sexual in nature.

How do you remove an unwanted person from a photo?

These are great tools for erasing people from your photos:
  1. YouCam Perfect.
  2. AI Object Remover by Phot.AI.
  3. Adobe Photoshop Fix.
  4. TouchRetouch.
  5. PhotoDirector.
  6. Remove Object - Touch Eraser.

What to do if someone is spreading pictures of you?

You can report image-based abuse and get help. In short: Threatening to share a nude or intimate image or video without the consent of the person shown is illegal. If this happens to you, you can report it and get help.