Field guide
How to remove content from the internet.
A practical, honest walkthrough: the free options to try first, when you actually need a service, how removal really works, and how to choose one without getting scammed. No guarantees, no fear-selling.
This page is education, not legal advice. We are a removal agency, not a law firm; for advice on your specific situation, consult an attorney — or start with the free assessment and we'll tell you honestly what your case needs.
Try the free options first.
For many cases, you can start removal yourself at no cost. Do these before you pay anyone:
Report it to the platform.
Almost every major platform has a report flow for non-consensual intimate images, harassment, and impersonation. It’s the fastest first move and costs nothing.
For intimate images: StopNCII or Take It Down.
Adults can create a private digital fingerprint of an intimate image so participating platforms block it — StopNCII.org. If anyone in the image is under 18, use NCMEC’s Take It Down and report to the CyberTipline — that is never a commercial case.
De-list it from Google.
Google has its own removal request tools for explicit images and for personal information (its “Results about you” process) — Google Search Help. De-listing hides a result from search; it doesn’t delete the page at the source.
When a service actually helps.
The free tools work best for straightforward cases on participating platforms. You usually need professional help when:
- • The content is spread across many sites, mirrors, or tube networks.
- • It sits on sites that ignore reports, or have no real removal process.
- • It keeps reappearing after you take it down.
- • It’s an AI deepfake that hash-matching tools don’t catch.
- • It’s a mugshot, doxxing post, or defamatory page that needs the right legal basis filed.
A service’s value is knowing which basis to file under, filing across every host at once, and watching for re-uploads — so you don’t have to police the internet yourself.
Source removal vs. de-listing.
There are two outcomes, and an honest service never confuses them. Removal at the source takes the content off the site itself — the strongest result. Search de-listing hides a page from Google when the source won’t act — a fallback, never a substitute for deletion.
Which levers apply depends on the case: the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act gives a 48-hour window for non-consensual intimate images (including AI deepfakes); copyright (DMCA) applies when you own the image; platform policy and, for mugshots, site policy or state law apply elsewhere.
How to choose one — and red flags.
This is a field with bad actors. Walk away from any service that:
- Guarantees 100% or permanent removal. No one can — it’s a sales tactic.
- Tells you to pay a blackmailer. Never do this; it escalates the demands.
- Blurs de-listing and deletion, or sells you suppression as removal.
- Hides its refund and acceptance terms.
- Claims to be a law firm when it isn’t (or pretends legal advice it can’t give).
Look for the opposite: results-based pricing, a written service agreement, plain honesty about what is and isn’t removable, and a willingness to turn down cases it can’t help.
Where AboutUs fits.
We’re a removal agency, not a law firm, for the cases the free tools can’t resolve. Our work is results-based and defined in a written agreement, with a 48-hour acceptance review and a refund before any work begins if we can’t take your case. If you’re being sextorted or your intimate images are involved, talk to a human by live chat — never a form. By case type:
If this involves someone under 18
We work with adults (18+) only. If intimate images of someone under 18 are involved, report it immediately to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org, use NCMEC's Take It Down at takeitdown.ncmec.org, and contact local law enforcement. Do not send the content to anyone — including us.
Common questions
Straight answers.
- How do I remove content about me from the internet?
- Start with the free options: report it to the platform, use StopNCII.org (adults) or NCMEC's Take It Down (minors) for intimate images, and use Google's removal tools to de-list it from search. When content is spread across many sites, keeps reappearing, sits on sites that ignore requests, or is an AI deepfake, that’s when a removal service files under the right legal basis at the source. Removal acts on the platform and host, not on the person who posted it.
- Can you really remove something from the internet permanently?
- No honest service guarantees permanent, total removal — anyone who does is a red flag. What works is removing content at the source, de-listing it from search where the source won’t act, and fingerprinting copies to catch re-uploads. Results are case-by-case and should be defined in a written agreement.
- How do I choose a content-removal service safely?
- Avoid anyone who guarantees 100% removal, tells you to pay a blackmailer, blurs the difference between deleting at the source and de-listing from search, hides refund terms, or claims to be a law firm when they aren’t. Look for results-based pricing, a written service agreement, and a service that tells you honestly what is and isn’t removable — and turns down cases it can’t help.
- Is removing content the same as hiring a lawyer?
- No. A removal agency files takedowns and de-listing requests across platforms; a law firm gives legal advice and can pursue court orders or expungement. AboutUs is a removal agency, not a law firm — if your situation needs an attorney, we’ll say so.