When you discover Non-Consensual Sexual Explicit Imagery (NCSEI) of yourself online, your first instinct is to get it off the internet as fast as possible. In the world of digital safety, you will often hear two terms: Takedownsand Delisting.
While they might sound like the same thing, they represent two very different layers of protection. Understanding how they work is the first step in regaining control of your digital footprint.
Why You Usually Need Both
In a perfect world, a takedown would be all you need. However, some malicious websites or offshore hosts refuse to comply with removal requests.
This is where delisting becomes your secondary shield. If a site won’t delete the image, you can ask search engines to delist it under their content polices. Even if the image exists in a dark corner of the web, it isn’t the first thing an employer, friend, or family member sees if they search your name.
The “One-Two Punch” Strategy:
- Request a Takedown to kill the source.
- Request Delisting to ensure search engines don’t lead people to the “ghost” of that content while it’s being processed.
Punch 1: Removing the Source with a Takedown
A takedown is the process of removing the actual file or webpage from the server where it lives.
- Who you contact: The website owner, the hosting provider, or the social media platform.
- The Goal: To make the content cease to exist at that specific digital address.
- The Result: If successful, the link becomes a “404 Not Found” error. No one can see the image, even if they have the direct link.
For NCSEI, takedowns are the gold standard because they strike at the root of the problem. While copyright (DMCA) is a civil matter used for content creation, NCSEI is often a criminal matter involving privacy violations. Most major platforms have specific reporting tools for non-consensual imagery that prioritize survivor’s safety and offer much broader protection than standard copyright routes.
Punch 2: Hiding the Path via Delisting
Delisting (often called de-indexing) does not remove the content from the website. Instead, it removes the link from search engine results like Google, Bing, or Yandex.
- Who you contact: Search engines.
- The Goal: To make the content impossible to find through a search of your name or specific keywords.
- The Result: The content is still live on the original website, but it is effectively buried. It won’t show up when someone Googles you.
Check out our articles on takedowns and delisting for more information.
This post was last updated on December 22, 2025.
