Stay safe, stay you

Yes, in most cases. A stage name separates your creator work from your legal name and daily life, making it harder for people to connect the two. Pick one you have not used anywhere else, check it is not already linked to someone online, and use it consistently across your fan page, socials and email. Your ID stays private to the platform. Our bio guide shows how to build a persona around it.

Geo-blocking hides your profile from visitors in regions you choose, based on their location. Many creators block their home country or region to avoid being found by people they know. It is not foolproof, because VPNs get around it, but it removes casual discovery. Check your platform's settings, since the options differ by platform. Our regional guide explains why location matters beyond privacy.

Photos from phones often contain EXIF data, including GPS coordinates, the date and the device. Turn off location for your camera app, and strip metadata before uploading, using your phone's share settings or a metadata removal app. Also check the photo itself: street views, mail, landmarks and reflections in windows or mirrors can give away where you live.

Stay calm and document everything: save the URLs, take screenshots and note the date. Then file takedown requests with the site host and with search engines under copyright law, since you own your content. Many platforms and paid services help with this. Watermarking your content makes leaks easier to trace. Leaks are not your fault. Fans can help too: our fan guide explains why paying beats pirating.

Find the site's DMCA or abuse contact, often in its footer or through its hosting provider. Send a notice with your name (or your representative's), the original work, the infringing URLs, a statement that you own the rights and did not authorize the use, and your signature. You can also ask Google to remove the URLs from search. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keep your creator identity completely separate: different email, phone number, social accounts and ideally a separate device or browser profile. Do not reuse usernames or photos from your personal accounts, since reverse image search can link them. Remove EXIF data, avoid showing your home or neighborhood, and never share your real name, city or workplace in chats.

Do not pay and do not negotiate: paying rarely ends it. Stop replying, save every message and screenshot the account details. Report the account to the platform and block it. Contact the police, since blackmail is a crime in most countries. Reach out to a friend or support organization so you are not dealing with it alone.

Watermarking is a good habit. A small, semi-transparent mark with your stage name or page handle makes leaked content traceable back to you and can act as free promotion if it spreads. Place it where it is hard to crop out. It will not stop determined pirates, but combined with takedowns it makes leaks less worthwhile.

Yes. Use a dedicated email address for your fan platform, socials and link page, and a second phone number or number app for verification where possible. That way a leak or breach of one account does not expose your personal life. Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication everywhere.