How to set up a Google Alert
The internet is a MASSIVE place. We all understand this. Equally, we understand that when anxiety and worry take over, we panic about where our intimate images may have been shared without our consent.
Setting up a Google Alert is not a perfect science but can definitely provide some reassurance and peace of mind. It works by flagging Google search results to you via email when a specific name or phrase is found.
- You'll first need a Google Mail (Gmail) account. If you don't have one, create one here.
- Go to 'Google Alerts'.
- Create your alerts.
You can enter as many alerts as you like. This could include names, nicknames, and phrases, basically anything you think could be attached or associated with your content if your images or videos were posted. If you have a common name, you might need to add some detail, such as your home town, so you don’t receive 100+ results a day for someone else.
Examples:
Jane Smith
Jane Smith, Huddersfield
Jane Smith, Huddersfield, 31
Jane Smith, Leaked nudes
4. Change the options of what you see and when you're alerted.
Seeing daily alerts might cause you to feel more stressed by the situation. Click on the settings cog icon (found by the right of 'My Alerts'. You can then decide how often you can receive notifications for search results. By selecting the ‘Digest’ option, any search results will be combined into one email which you can receive daily or weekly.
5. If you do find a result, and there is an intimate image or video shared without your consent, we’re here to help you.
Firstly, don’t panic. Easier said than done, but we can help and you’re not alone with dealing with this. Here's what to do:
- Screenshot the page where it has been posted and save it: this is evidence and can be used if you decide to report this to the police.
- You can do this by calling the non-emergency number 101; you’ll need to give brief details to a call handler and an appropriate officer should return your call.
- Contact the Helpline for further advice and support.
We are able to help you to report and remove the content. Whilst we cannot guarantee it will be removed, we do hold a very good takedown success rate and we are very persistent and determined.
We will ask you to copy and paste the URL and send us the links to the content: if there are other images or videos on the page, we may have to ask you to confirm which images are of you.