What can I do to stop unwanted or unsafe contact?
If online contact with someone makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or harassed, stop responding to them.
1. Collect evidence
Keep any evidence you have of contact that has made you feel unsafe, uncomfortable or harassed, including:
- what platform or service the person used to contact you
- their username, handle or platform ID
- the dates and times when they contacted you.
Screenshots of their messages can be useful if it becomes necessary to report them. But don’t screenshot nude or sexual images or videos of anyone who’s under 18 years old, as saving it can be illegal.
You can find out more on our page about collecting evidence.
2. Report the unwanted contact
Once you have collected evidence, you can report the unwanted contact directly to the online platform or service used to contact you. For more information see The eSafety Guide.
Most phone and email providers also offer advice about how to deal with communication that’s unwanted, obscene, abusive or intended to harm you – you can try these links:
If the unwanted contact continues or becomes harmful, and you don’t hear back from the online service or platform, you may be able to make a cyberbullying report to eSafety if you are under 18, or an adult cyber abuse report if you’re 18 or older.
If you’re sent content showing or encouraging child sexual abuse or other forms of extreme violence or self-harm, you can also report this illegal content to eSafety. You can make the reports anonymously, without giving your name or contact details.
