Someone made a sexual deepfake using your profile photo

First, stop the spread before gathering details

The most protective first move is to avoid forwarding, re-uploading or screenshotting the material into group chats, social feeds or public threads. Each further copy can outlive a takedown request and complicate later removal. If the material is on a platform you use, use its in-product report flow rather than reposting it with commentary. Record only the minimum you need for a report: the platform name, where it appeared, the date and time you saw it, and the account or post reference. Keep these notes in a private folder. [eSafety: Image-based abuse]

• Do not share the image with friends, forums or self-appointed investigators.
• Write down the platform, page location, date and time before the post changes.
• Close or limit comments and messages on your own profiles if they are being used to spread it.

Make a private evidence set that you control

Evidence should support a report without becoming another copy you distribute. Where the platform allows it, use its built-in report and preserve the confirmation or reference number it gives you. Save the page address or post reference, a short written description, and any messages you received about the material. Avoid publishing the evidence or sending it to strangers. If a reporting body asks for the image, follow its instructions rather than guessing what it needs. The aim is a factual record of what appeared, where, and when, not a public archive. [eSafety: Image-based abuse]

• Keep one private folder with dates, platform names and report reference numbers.
• Note what you have already reported and any response you receive.
• Do not create extra copies on shared drives, cloud accounts or devices others can access.

Separate removal and support from identity questions

Removal and support do not depend on proving who made the image. A platform can act on a report about altered intimate imagery without you naming a creator, and a dedicated image-abuse service can explain reporting routes and help options. Keep that practical track moving first. Only then consider whether you want to preserve limited context about the account that posted it, such as a public username or post reference. Do not treat a username, a matching photo, a location tag or an account's silence as proof of identity or intent. [eSafety: Image-based abuse]

• Ask the platform or reporting service what it needs before collecting more material.
• If you keep a public username for a report, label it as an observation, not a conclusion.
• Do not contact people you suspect or ask strangers to confront them.

Report through a route built for intimate-image abuse

Image-based abuse includes intimate imagery that has been digitally altered to look like a person, or images falsely associated with them, so this situation fits that category even if you never posed for the image. Use a reporting service designed for image-based abuse alongside the platform's own report. eSafety notes that its service provides reporting and help routes, including help for people outside Australia, and that intimate-content reports are distinct from proving who created the material. Availability and response paths can vary, so check the current options yourself rather than assuming a timeline. [eSafety: Image-based abuse]

• Report to the platform hosting the post and keep the reference it returns.
• Use an intimate-image abuse reporting service for guidance and possible removal help.
• Write to the platform in plain terms: what the material is, where it is, and that it was altered without your consent.

Use a short, factual message and keep the frame narrow

A report or removal request works best when it is brief and factual. Say that an image presents you in an intimate context you did not create or consent to, give the post reference and the date you saw it, and ask what the platform needs next. Do not add speculation about who is responsible or motive. You can ask that the material be removed and that copies be prevented from spreading, but avoid promising outcomes you cannot control. Keep a copy of what you sent and when.

• Name the specific post or page rather than describing a search for it.
• State the request plainly: removal and no further distribution.
• Ask for the next step and a reference number in the same message.

Plan the next hours, not a perfect investigation

It is common to feel pressure to find the creator immediately. That pressure can lead to public accusations, contacting strangers or sharing the image to gather opinions, all of which can cause more harm. A steadier plan is to protect your accounts, file the reports, tell one trusted person if that helps, and set a time to check for responses. If the material keeps appearing, repeat the platform report and keep the references together. You can decide later whether to seek further advice; you do not have to resolve the identity question to take protective action. [eSafety: Image-based abuse]

• Change passwords and review who can see your profile photos.
• Tell one trusted person what is happening and what you need from them.
• Set a short check-in time for report responses instead of monitoring continuously.

A worksheet for keeping observations and limits apart

Use a simple three-column record so that what you saw, what it cannot prove, and what you will do next do not blur together. This worksheet is editorial advice, not a platform test, and it is not a substitute for a reporting service's instructions. Fill in only what you need for a report, keep it private, and revisit it when a platform or support service asks a specific question.

A couple more questions