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Children can now report nude photos of themselves online

5 July 2021

By Lauren E. White

If you are under 18 and worried that a nude photograph or video of yourself may end up online, you can report this using a new tool on the Childline website to prevent it from being uploaded.

Childline, ran by the NSPCC, provides free help and support to under-18s and has teamed up with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to create the self-reporting tool.

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The tool requires individuals to verify their age, but you can choose to remain anonymous with Childline and the IWF. If you file a report, you should expect to hear feedback on the outcome within one working day.

The Report Remove Tool works by reviewing content flagged by individuals and creating a unique digital fingerprint. It will share this fingerprint with tech companies to help prevent the image or video from being uploaded and shared in the future.

You can also report images and videos that have been uploaded already by reporting the URL link using the new tool. Analysts assess the material and work to remove it if it breaks the law.

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In the UK, if someone has, without your consent, shared a nude image or video of you online, this is illegal.

Sometimes people share intimate photographs with partners or are pressured into sharing explicit content with others online and this is later shared without their consent. If you have been pressured into sharing photographs or videos of yourself in the first place, this was not consensual either.

It is also important to note that anyone found with nude images or videos, of under 16-year-olds on their phone, are in possession of child pornography. This is a criminal offence – even if you are both under 16.

To report an image or video of yourself online, click here. You can also phone Childline for support on 0800 1111, or reach out to their chat service here.

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