Build the record
Harassment is handled by institutions, and institutions act on records. Take a screenshot of each message or post showing the account name, the date and time, and save the web address of the post and of the profile. Keep a simple log with the date, the platform, what happened and the file name of the screenshot. It feels excessive on the first day, and it is what makes a platform, an employer or a court take you seriously in the third week.
Do not feed it
Replying, however well written, is the reward the person is after, and it gives them fresh material. Do not answer, do not post about them and ask your friends not to retaliate on your behalf. Then use the tools in this order.
- Mute or restrict the account if you want to keep watching what it says without it knowing.
- Block it, and block the replacement accounts as they appear, adding each to your log.
- Report each item through the platform's own form, citing the specific rule it breaks, and save the confirmation.
- Tighten who can message, tag and reply to you, at least for a few weeks.
Close off your address
Harassment moves offline through doxxing, the posting of your home address, phone number or workplace. Most of that information comes from people-search sites, each of which has an opt-out form, and search engines will remove results that expose your contact details. If your employer is likely to be contacted, tell human resources first, in your own words.
When it is a crime
Threats of violence, stalking, extortion, and the sharing of intimate images without consent are crimes, though the exact laws vary by state. File a police report, bring the log, and ask for the report number. Report online extortion to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center as well. If someone demands money to keep images private, do not pay, because payment brings further demands. A federal law passed in 2025 requires platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. For images taken when the subject was under 18, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs a free removal service. A lawyer can advise on a protective order or a civil suit, and a student can go to the school's Title IX office.
Tip Ask a trusted friend to take over watching and logging the account for a while. The record stays current, and you get to stop reading it.
