Scrubbing the Internet: Strategies for Removing Nonconsensual Images

This course will cover practical, legal, and technical approaches to helping clients regain control of their online presence after intimate images have been shared without consent. The presentation will walk through available removal options on social media platforms, adult-content sites, and search engines, and explain how to use legal tools such as DMCA takedown notices, injunctions or protection orders prohibiting further dissemination, and cease-and-desist and demand letters. It will also address the limitations of current removal processes and how to set realistic expectations with clients while pursuing meaningful harm reduction.

Nonconsensual sharing of intimate images is now a recurring issue across a wide range of practice areas. Clients increasingly expect their lawyers to help stop ongoing digital harm, not just pursue damages or protective orders, yet many attorneys have limited exposure to how online removal systems actually function or which legal tools are effective. This program is designed for attorneys who want to provide competent, trauma-informed guidance when intimate images appear online and to respond quickly and strategically to minimize ongoing harm.

This program is intended for attorneys at all levels who want to more holistically support survivors of image-based sexual abuse. It will provide practical guidance for attorneys working in civil litigation, criminal law, victims’ rights, domestic violence advocacy, and related fields who may encounter these issues in their practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Determine how to effectively pursue and document image removal across major platforms, websites, and search engines.
• Examine the legal tools available for takedown efforts, including DMCA notices and court orders.
• Apply practical guidance on managing client expectations and addressing the limitations of current removal mechanisms.