There has been a lot of talk over the past few weeks about selfies, specifically naked ones. Since the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Kaley Cuoco found images of themselves being circulated online thanks to an iCloud leak, and the recent news that Snapchat photos from 200,000 users were being passed around image board 4chan, many are asking themselves the same question: is it worth sending a naked photo of yourself to someone over the internet?
Also See: 200,000 Snapchat Photos Hacked, Full List of Victims Revealed
To dissuade everyone from taking naked selfies would be to destroy one of the greatest uses of the World Wide Web. Nude photos sent between two consenting adults is a beautiful thing, and it’d be great if everyone could continue doing it without the fear of those images being leaked, but that isn’t the world we live in. However, there are some measures you can take to ensure that your photos don’t wind up being plastered across the internet. Here’s how to send a naked selfie without it getting leaked:
Step 1: Don’t Use Third-Party Services for Existing Apps
The recent Snapchat leaks were as a result of people using third-party services such as Snapsaved.com and the app SnapSave, with their servers being hacked into and around 200,000 accounts being compromised. Needless to say, if you don’t want the same thing happening to you then it’s best if you stick to the actual apps in order to send photos of your genitals to others.
That’s not to say that sticking to the big names will ensure your safety, of course – but it’s a far more effective method if you want to limit the chances of your butt making its way into the hands of strangers.
Step 2: Only Send the Photos to People You Trust
You know what’s not a good idea? Snapchatting a naked photo of yourself to someone you barely know. Sure, you may be body confident and spontaneous, but when those images find their way onto 4chan and Reddit for any and all to criticize in their dimly-lit bedrooms, you’ll probably regret sending them out to that person who you’ve gone on three dates with.
While that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the people you date are untrustworthy, it’s absolutely not worth the risk. If you’re going to send a naked selfie to someone, try to ensure that it’s not going to be seen by anyone else other than them… preferably by getting them to send you a photo of themselves, too.
Step 3: Don’t Include Your Face
There’s a thing called “plausible deniability,” and if you don’t include a photo of your face in your naked photo, then this will work in your advantage. If your naked photo is posted online but doesn’t contain your face in it at all, while you’ll still likely feel a little embarrassed about the whole situation, no one (unless they’re aware of what your nude body looks like) will know that it’s you.
You might feel weird just taking a photo of your body, as though your face is completely inconsequential, but you’ll be thankful when you consider that there’s no chance of an acquaintance knowing that the junk they just saw on the internet belong to you.
Photo: Getty Images
