With the popularity of mobile smart phones, sharing on-the-go photos with your friends and family is easier than ever. Having this ability to share your photos is a wonderful thing, but it’s important to understand the potential risks involved and what you can do to protect your images.
We hope the following will help you think about how to protect your online images.
If someone uses your photo without consent on Twitter
Most of the communication taking place on Twitter is public and viewable by everyone. Since the information posted is public, some of this data may be made available or republished on other websites.
Part of what makes Twitter so fun is that its an open platform for communication and a great resource for sharing information, but since Tweets are public, it helps to be mindful of what you Tweet.
It’s always good to keep in the mind the different kinds of people you are sharing with on the internet. Some photos might be as harmless as scenery or a snapshot of your favorite brunch. Others might be a bit more personal--photos of your parents, siblings, or your friends. Before posting a photo, consider your audience. It is up to you to determine which of your photos are appropriate for the many different kinds of followers you have. For example, a photo depicting your social life may not be appropriate for your work colleagues.
Most photo sharing services that you use have privacy settings. By getting to know your privacy settings, you can learn what each setting allows you to do and how it can be implemented in protecting your photos. For detailed information on how to control your privacy settings on Twitter, read this article: Learn and control your settings. Keep in mind, changing settings on Twitter does not necessarily change your settings elsewhere on the Internet.
Keeping content in a place that adds an extra layer of protection can be a useful method for content that is private or sensitive. Options such as having an external hard drive or using a personal cloud service to host files absolutely not meant for public viewing are available. Researching and deciding on the best way to store your private or sensitive photos is up to you.
If someone is using your photos inappropriately or without your permission, here are steps you can take.
Not everyone has the same definition of what is private and what should be shared. If a friend or connection has posted information you prefer to be kept private, contact them and ask them to take down the content. Likewise, be considerate of others. If someone requests you remove information that you posted about them, please respect their privacy and consider taking it down. This Twitter Support article explains how to delete a Tweet.
Get to know the Twitter Rules and Policies.
After reviewing our policies, if you believe an offending account is violating our rules, file a report.
Twitter only removes profiles that are in violation of the Twitter Rules and Terms of Service. Please remember as Twitter is a communications platform rather than a content provider, we do not mediate disputes between users.
If you are the copyright holder of photos hosted on the Twitter service, more information about copyright infringement can be found on our Copyright and DMCA Policy help page.
If you have found your personal images on websites without your consent, and trying to have a conversation with the uploader did not work, seeking legal routes may be able to help. Please note, Twitter cannot offer any legal advice. Every state has different laws surrounding the use of images online without permission, so it may be necessary to seek out legal resources.
For more information, check out these resources:
http://www.withoutmyconsent.org/
http://www.reputation.com
http://www.connectsafely.org
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
http://www.cyberbullying.us
