How to File a DMCA Takedown for OnlyFans (2026)

What Is a DMCA Takedown?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a US federal law that gives you, as a content creator, the right to demand that platforms and hosting providers remove unauthorized copies of your work. It doesn't matter whether you're a photographer, a musician, or an OnlyFans creator — if someone is distributing your original content without permission, you have the legal standing to get it taken down.

A DMCA takedown notice is a formal letter you send to the company hosting the infringing content. Once they receive a valid notice, they're legally required to remove the material or risk losing their safe harbor protection under the law. Most legitimate hosting providers comply quickly because ignoring a valid DMCA notice exposes them to direct liability.

The key thing to understand: you don't need a lawyer to file a DMCA takedown. You just need to follow the right process. Let's walk through it step by step.

Step 1: Document the Infringement

Before you do anything else, collect evidence. You need a clear record of what was taken and where it appeared. Here's what to gather:

Screenshots of the infringing content, including the full URL visible in your browser bar. Make sure the date and time are visible on your device.
Direct URLs to every page where your content appears. Copy the exact links — don't paraphrase or shorten them.
Links to your original content on OnlyFans (or wherever you first published it). This establishes that you're the original creator.
Timestamps showing your content was published first. Your OnlyFans post dates serve as proof of original publication.

Save everything in a dedicated folder. If this ever escalates to a legal dispute, having organized documentation from the very beginning will make your life significantly easier.

Step 2: Identify the Host

Your DMCA notice needs to go to the company hosting the infringing content, not the person who uploaded it. Here's how to find the right target:

WHOIS lookup: Use a tool like whois.domaintools.com or lookup.icann.org to find out who hosts the website. Look for the hosting provider in the results.
Check the site itself: Many sites have a terms of service or contact page that lists their hosting provider, or a DMCA/copyright page with a designated agent.
For social platforms: Major platforms like Reddit, Twitter/X, and Discord all have dedicated DMCA reporting forms or designated agents. Search for "[platform name] DMCA report" to find the right channel.

If the site is hosted offshore and doesn't list any contact information, don't panic yet — we'll cover escalation strategies later in this guide.

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Step 3: Write Your DMCA Notice

A valid DMCA takedown notice needs to include specific elements under Section 512(c) of the law. Missing any of these can give the host an excuse to ignore your request. Here's what to include:

Your identification as the copyright owner or authorized agent. You can use your stage name or performer name — you don't have to use your legal name in many cases.
A description of the copyrighted work being infringed. Reference specific content — "photos and videos originally published on my OnlyFans account at [your URL]" is sufficient.
The exact URLs of the infringing material that you want removed. Be as specific as possible — link to individual pages, not just the domain.
A good faith statement that you believe the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
An accuracy statement declaring under penalty of perjury that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.
Your signature — a physical or electronic signature (typing your name counts for email submissions).

Keep your notice professional and factual. You're not writing an angry letter — you're invoking a legal process. Stick to the facts and the required elements.

A Note on Privacy

One concern many creators have: DMCA notices often become part of the public record (sites like Lumen Database archive them). If privacy is important to you — and it should be — consider using your stage name and a PO Box or business address instead of your personal details. Services like FanLock's OnlyFans protection file notices as your authorized agent, keeping your personal identity completely out of the picture.

Step 4: Send the Notice

Where you send your notice depends on where the infringement is hosted:

Hosting providers: Most have an abuse@ email address (e.g., abuse@hostingcompany.com). Check their website for a designated DMCA agent.
Google Search: Use Google's Search Console removal tool or their copyright removal request form to get infringing links delisted from search results. This doesn't remove the content itself, but it stops people from finding it through Google.
Social media platforms: Each has its own reporting flow. Look for "Report Copyright" or "Intellectual Property" in their help center.
Telegram: Send notices to dmca@telegram.org. Be aware that Telegram's response times are significantly slower than other platforms. We cover this in depth in our Telegram leak removal guide.

Send your notice via email and keep a copy of everything — the email you sent, the date, and any auto-reply or confirmation you receive. This creates a paper trail you may need later.

Step 5: Follow Up and Escalate

After you send your notice, here's what to expect:

US-based hosts: Typically respond within 24–72 hours. Most comply quickly to maintain their DMCA safe harbor protections.
International hosts: Response times vary wildly. Some comply within a week; others may ignore you entirely.
Google delisting: Usually processed within 1–3 weeks, though high-volume requests can take longer.

If you don't hear back within a reasonable timeframe (one week for US hosts, two weeks for international), send a follow-up referencing your original notice. If they continue to ignore you, it's time to escalate.

Escalation Options

Contact the CDN: If the site uses Cloudflare or a similar CDN, you can file a DMCA notice with them. They won't remove the content directly, but they may reveal the actual hosting provider.
Report to payment processors: If the site makes money (ads, subscriptions, donations), reporting to Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or Stripe can cut off their revenue. Payment processors take copyright infringement seriously.
Report to domain registrars: The company that registered the domain can sometimes suspend it for repeated copyright violations.
File with search engines: Even if you can't get the content removed at the source, getting it delisted from Google and Bing dramatically reduces its visibility.

When DIY Isn't Enough

The process above works well for straightforward cases: a US-based site, a responsive hosting provider, one or two infringing pages. But the reality for most creators is more complicated.

Here's where DIY starts to break down:

Volume: If your content is on dozens or hundreds of sites, filing individual notices becomes a full-time job. Many creators report spending 10–20 hours per week on takedowns alone.
Telegram channels: Most creator content leaks happen on Telegram, where channels are private, encrypted, and extremely difficult to monitor as an individual. You literally can't see most of the places your content is being shared.
Offshore and non-compliant hosts: Some hosting providers in certain jurisdictions simply ignore DMCA notices. Without escalation leverage (payment processors, infrastructure providers), you're stuck.
Whack-a-mole effect: You take down content on one site and it pops up on three more the next day. Without continuous monitoring, you're always playing catch-up.

This isn't meant to discourage you from filing your own takedowns. For small-scale infringement, the DIY approach works fine. But if your content is being widely distributed, a professional DMCA protection service can be a worthwhile investment.

How FanLock Automates This Entire Process

FanLock was built specifically for content creators dealing with leaks at scale. Here's what we handle so you don't have to:

Continuous scanning across the web and Telegram: We monitor Telegram alongside web results and search engines to find your content wherever it appears.
Human-verified takedowns: Every match is reviewed by a real person before a takedown is filed. No false positives, no embarrassing mistakes.
4-tier escalation: We start with direct takedown notices. If that doesn't work, we escalate to payment processors, then infrastructure providers, then search engine delisting. We don't stop until the content is gone.
Privacy protection: We file as your authorized agent using your stage name. Your personal identity stays completely private.

FanLock was co-founded by Morgpie, one of the most prominent creators in the industry, who built this because she experienced the problem firsthand. This isn't a tech company guessing at what creators need — it's a solution built from inside the community.

Check out our pricing page to see which tier fits your needs, or read our comparison of DMCA services for a fair look at your options.

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