Which X process fits your situation
| What you found | X process |
|---|---|
| Content you sell, posted without your permission | Copyright complaint |
| Intimate images you never agreed to share, hidden camera content, fakes | Non-consensual nudity report, or the US Take It Down Act form |
| An account pretending to be you | Impersonation report |
| Your address, phone number or other private details | Private information report |
The copyright complaint, step by step
X handles copyright under the DMCA. Its copyright policy says it responds to reports about copyrighted images or videos uploaded to X, copyrighted images used as a profile or header photo, and posts that link to infringing material. The complaint is filed through X's copyright form in the Help Center.
X lists what it needs:
- A signature. Typing your full name is enough.
- The original work, for example a link to your original post or a clear description of it.
- The infringing material, with enough detail for X to find it. Give a direct link to each post. If the problem is in a header or avatar, say so. X states that a link to a profile page is not sufficient on its own.
- Your contact information: address, phone number and email address.
- A good-faith statement that the use is not authorized by the owner, its agent or the law.
- A statement under penalty of perjury that the complaint is accurate and that you are authorized to act for the copyright owner.
Two things X asks you to consider before filing. First, under US law you can be liable for damages if you knowingly misrepresent that something is infringing. Second, X notes that, in general, the photographer and not the subject of a photo holds the copyright. If someone else shot the content, check your agreement with them, and ask a lawyer if you are unsure who owns what.
What X shares with the account you report
This is the part most creators do not expect. X says that if it removes or restricts the reported material, the account that posted it receives a full copy of your complaint, including your full name, email, street address and anything else you included. If you are not comfortable with that, X suggests appointing an agent to file for you, who identifies you as the content owner they represent.
What to expect after you file
- A ticket confirmation by email. X says that if it does not arrive, your complaint was not received and you should file again. Do not send duplicates otherwise: X says they delay processing.
- Removal or restriction. X may remove the material or restrict access, and it marks withheld posts and media so viewers can see something was withheld.
- Counter-notices. The account owner can file a counter-notice. X forwards it to you, and if it does not hear within 10 business days that you are seeking a court order, it may restore the material.
- Repeat infringers. X says it may suspend accounts that receive multiple copyright complaints, and that posting removed material again, or pointing people to copyrighted material on third-party websites, may lead to permanent suspension.
Non-consensual nudity on X
X's non-consensual nudity policy prohibits posting intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent, including hidden camera content and images that put someone's face on another person's nude body. X also says that consensually produced adult content is allowed on X as long as it is marked as sensitive.
That second point is why copyright is usually the cleaner route for content you sell: X has to weigh context to decide whether a reported image was shared without consent, and it may need to hear from the person shown before acting. For images you never agreed to share, the nudity report is the right tool:
- In the app or on desktop, report the post and choose the options for an unauthorized, intimate photo or video of you. X's menu labels change from time to time; the policy page shows the current path.
- By form, through X's private information report form, choosing the unauthorized photo or video option.
X says it immediately and permanently suspends accounts it identifies as the original poster of intimate media created or shared without consent.
The US Take It Down Act on X
X has a dedicated Take It Down Act page. You can report from the post's three-dot menu ("Private or Non-Consensual Content", then "Report content under the US Take It Down Act"), or directly through X's Take It Down form. X says you do not need an X account to submit a report. For a valid report, X says it removes the reported intimate photos or videos as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after receiving the request, and tells you the outcome. Our guide to StopNCII and the Take It Down Act covers when this law fits content you sold.
Fake accounts using your name or photos
X's authenticity policy does not allow accounts that impersonate people to deceive others. Parody, commentary and fan accounts are allowed only if they are clearly labeled as such. If an account is posing as you, use X's impersonation report form. If the fake account also uses your photos as its avatar or header, those images can be reported through the copyright complaint as well, since X's copyright policy covers profile and header photos.
Keep it out of the replies
Replying under the post, or quoting it to call it out, puts the leak in front of your own followers and keeps it circulating. File the report, keep a note of the post links and the ticket number, and let the process run.