Handling nude photos safely: an essential guide

Sharing nude photos is a trend that has increased dramatically in recent years. This phenomenon, also known as sexting. Sexting is a common form of intimacy in relationships today. It is exciting, fun and can make a positive contribution to your sex life. However, sending intimate photos also entails risks.

It often happens that spicy images are forwarded to others without permission, or even end up on the internet. This can lead to serious damage, both psychological and emotional, for both the victim and those close to them.

To keep sexting fun and safe, it's important to recognize the dangers and take steps to prevent negative consequences. In this blog post we share our tips on how to prevent your intimate photos from leaking and how to sext responsibly.

What is sexting and why is it popular?

Sexting is the sharing of sexually explicit photos or messages via digital media. It is a form of expression and intimacy that has become especially popular in the digital age. However, sharing nude photos or 'nudes' can also entail risks, such as the possibility of unwanted distribution of the photos.

How can you send a nude statement?

• Do it for the right reasons. Feel like stirring each other up before you see each other. Go for it. Do you not have that need yourself or do you not feel comfortable with it? Then don't do it.

• Make sure you trust the other person. Trust is really the most important thing here. Be 1000% sure that the other person is not going to take advantage of you. Don't send to people you don't know well yet.

• Ask and communicate. Discuss in advance what he/she wants, where the boundaries are and what you will do with it afterwards.

• Protect yourself and make sure you are unrecognizable. This way you prevent that if your nude leaks, no one will know it is you. Also take into account the visibility of tattoos or other recognizable things.

How can you send a nude responsibly?

• Choose a neutral background. This way you prevent yourself from being identified by, for example, something recognizable in your room.

• Secure your photos to reduce the risk that hackers can gain access to your private files.

• Make it difficult for hackers to gain access to your phone. Enable two-step verification. This is a login verification that ensures that not everyone can access your iCloud. Every time you want to log in to your iCloud account, Apple sends a code to your phone. This code changes every time you log in again. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to break into your iCloud. This is also possible with OneDrive. In any case, choose a password that is difficult to guess.
  
  
  

How can you protect your photos?

Fortunately, there are a few useful apps to protect your photos.

• Cryptomator . If you send your photos to iCloud via this app, the hacker cannot open these locked files when he wants to snoop in your cloud.
• Nude . This app scans all your photos and can recognize nude photos. All photos that may contain nudity are automatically placed in the app and you can then delete all photos from your camera roll with one press of a button. They will then only be in the app, which you can close with a code.

Use an app that allows you to place a watermark with the recipient's name in the photo. If the photo leaks, it will be easier to track down and prosecute the perpetrator. The recipient will also be less likely to choose to distribute the photo if his name is in it.

Things to pay attention to:

• Are the nude photos you took with your phone also in your iCloud? There is a good chance that your photos will automatically end up in iCloud. Check whether you also have the 'My Photostream' folder under albums. My Photostream uploads the most recent photos to your iCloud. The photos remain in this folder for 30 days, but are also in your iCloud until you delete them yourself. To really know for sure what is and is not in your iCloud, you can log in to www.icloud.com with your Apple ID. There you can see in one overview what exactly can be found in your iCloud.

• Otherwise, turn off your photostream. Then your photos will no longer automatically end up in your iCloud. Go to 'Settings,' then 'Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes and App Store,' then 'iCloud' and choose photos. Turn off 'Upload to my photo stream'.

What to do if your nude photos are distributed without your consent?

Unwanted distribution of sexual content is a sexual crime and can have major consequences. From the moment you share images of yourself, the recipient of these images is responsible for ensuring their safety. Damaging that security, for example by forwarding the images, is therefore punishable.

• If someone leaks your nudes, it is important to know that it is never your fault that this happens to you.

• Talk about it. Many young people are ashamed when their nude photos or videos are shared, while sexting is very normal. Find someone you feel safe with and share your unpleasant experience with that person.

• Know that you can file a report. Sharing nude photos and videos – whether you received them yourself or someone else shared them with you – is a criminal offense. So feel free to file a report, because that is your right and can help you further.
  
  
  

Conclusion: Safety and respect come first

Sexting can be a fun way to experience intimacy within a relationship, but always be aware of the risks and take measures to protect yourself. With responsible behavior you can ensure that sexting remains fun and safe! Make sure you know who you're sharing the photos with and that you take the right steps to protect your privacy. And remember: it's your body, and you have the right to decide what happens to your photos.

Have you ever sent a nude photo? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!