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New York, NY(212) 365-4875
Clemenza Concierge

Private images and personal information · invasion of privacy

When something private got out, or was used without asking

An ex shared photos that were never meant for anyone else, or is threatening to. A company put your face in an ad you never agreed to. A letter arrives saying your medical or financial records were exposed in a breach. Once something private is out, it can feel as though nothing can be done.

Often something can. The law protects privacy in pieces, and unevenly from state to state, which is exactly why it helps to have a lawyer look. Tell us what happened in your own words, and a lawyer at our firm will look at your case.

Tell us what happened

This may be for you if

  • Intimate images of me were shared without my consent, or someone is threatening to share them.
  • Someone made fake sexual images of me using my face.
  • A company used my name, photo or voice in an ad without asking me.
  • My medical, financial or other private records were exposed in a data breach.

What we do, and what we do not

We do

  • A lawyer at our firm looks at your case: what happened, where, which law may protect you, and what can still be done, including getting images taken down.
  • When another firm is better placed to lead your case day to day, such as one that brings privacy cases in the state where it happened, we choose that firm for you, from firms we have vetted for their expertise and track record, and we stay responsible for your case with them.

We do not

  • We don't promise that content will come down, or what your case might be worth.
  • We don't contact the person involved, or the website, unless you've agreed to it.

Two firms on your side, for the cost of one

When another firm leads your case, you have two law firms on your side, and it costs you no more than one firm would. The firm leading it day to day is one that brings privacy cases in the state where it happened, and it's your first call for questions about the case. Our firm stays responsible for your case with them for as long as it lasts: we check in often, keep our own calendar of its deadlines, and we're who you write to if something doesn't feel right.

You decide whether to go ahead, and nothing happens until you say yes.

How it works, step by stepHow fees work, and how they are shared

Problems we often hear about

What helps to have ready

  • Screenshots of every post, message or page, showing the date, the web address and the account name.
  • Links to where the content can be found now.
  • Who you believe is responsible, and how you know.
  • Any reports you made to a platform or the police, and the replies.
  • For an ad: a copy of it, and where it ran.
  • For a data exposure: the breach notice or letter you received.

Questions people ask

Can you get it taken down?

Often, yes. A federal law now requires websites and apps built around their users' posts to take down intimate images shared without consent, and known copies, quickly after a valid request, and the Federal Trade Commission enforces it. That includes fake images made with AI. A court can also order someone to stop sharing.

Could I sue the website?

Usually the claim is against the person who shared it, because a federal law protects most websites from claims over what their users post. The website can still be required to take intimate images down when you ask.

What does it cost?

It costs nothing to ask. Lawyers who bring privacy cases often work on a contingency fee, a share of any recovery, and some of these laws, including New York's law on intimate images and the federal one, let you recover your lawyer fees from the person who shared them. Data breach cases are often brought as class actions, one case for everyone affected, where the court sets the lawyers' fee.

This page explains things in general terms. It is not legal advice about your situation, and the law differs from state to state.