Lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer and/or intersex people
This guide shows you what to do if someone shares an intimate image of you without your consent.
Stay safe
If you are feeling unsafe now, call the police on Triple Zero (000).
If you are experiencing image-based abuse as part of an abusive relationship, contact 1800RESPECTfor help with safety planning.
What is image-based abuse?
Image-based abuse is when someone shares, or threatens to share, an intimate photo or video online of you without your consent.
This includes images of a person without the religious or cultural attire they usually wear in public, such as a niqab or turban.
The images can be real photos or videos, or ones that have been changed or altered, for example, Photoshopped.
It is also image-based abuse if someone threatens to share an intimate image of you without your permission.
Image-based abuse impacts people regardless of their age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, education or bank balance.
Around 10% of Australians have experienced image-based abuse. Although women aged 18-24 are more likely to be targets (24%), LGBTIQ+ people also experience a high level of image-based abuse (19%).
Examples of image-based abuse include:
- Your ex-partner sharing an intimate image of you on Facebook without your consent.
- Someone threatening to share a naked picture of you that you sent them on Grindr.
- An anonymous account threatening to share an intimate image of you on a website or porn site.
How to report image-based abuse
eSafety has legal powers to help protect people who live in Australia from the most serious online abuse and harmful content.
You can report image-based abuse to eSafety. We can help to get the intimate images or video removed and, in some cases, we may be able to take action against the person who shared it.
Follow these steps to make a report
Learn more about image-based abuse and how to get help and support
We offer detailed advice on image-based abuse, including resources and support for anyone who has experienced image-based abuse, and their friends and family.
Collect evidence and information
To make a report to eSafety, you will need to collect evidence such as screenshots of what has been happening. Read more about how to collect evidence.
Make an image-based abuse report to eSafety
Once you have collected relevant evidence and information, you can report image-based abuse.
Are you being blackmailed or threatened?
If someone is threatening to share your intimate images unless you give into their demands, help is available.
Do not give them any money or bitcoin — paying a blackmailer will only result in more demands for payment.
Follow these steps:
- Stop all contact with the blackmailer.
- Take screenshots of the threats and then block the user.
- Read our advice on how to deal with sexual extortion.
Download the guide
You can get help and support from one of these counselling services
QLife
All ages. Counselling and referral for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and/or intersex. Phone counselling available from 3pm to 12am, every day. Online chat available 3pm to 12am, every day.
Help in languages other than English
Call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to contact one of the helplines above for you.
You can also call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450, once you have made a report to us and we have given you a phone number to contact us on.
Guides on how to deal with image-based abuse are available in 12 other languages, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Tamil, Thai, Persian, Filipino, Hindi, Spanish, Punjabi, and Karen.
If you are deaf or have a hearing impairment
Contact Speak and Listen (relay call options) on 1300 555 727 and ask them to contact a helpline for you, or to speak to us once you have made report.
