Tallyterms

Rights and account standing

How to report stolen content: copyright takedowns on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Pinterest

By the Tallyterms editorsPublished 7 October 2026Last updated

Checked YouTubeTikTokInstagramFacebookPinterest

On this page
  1. Where do I report a stolen video or photo on each platform?
  2. Who can file a copyright report?
  3. What does a copyright takedown form ask for?
  4. Does a re-upload, crop or edited copy count?
  5. Will the uploader see my name and email?
  6. What happens to the account that stole my content?
  7. What if the uploader files a counter-notice?
  8. What tools find copies before I have to?
  9. Copyright, impersonation or trademark: which report?
  10. Does the EU Digital Services Act change anything?
  11. What happens if I file a false claim?
  12. Pre-filing checklist
  13. Should I report, ask the uploader, or monetize it?
  14. Frequently asked questions
  15. Sources

The rule

Use the platform's copyright form, not the report button. Only the owner or an authorised agent can file; your name and email usually reach the uploader. After a counter-notice, US law has the post restored in 10 to 14 business days unless you sue.

Checked Primary sources

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on your country and situation; check the linked official sources or ask a qualified lawyer.

Key facts

  • Meta, YouTube, X and Pinterest accept copyright reports only from the copyright owner or someone authorised to act for them.
  • X forwards a full copy of your notice, including your name, address, phone and email, to the user who posted the material.
  • Under 17 U.S.C. 512(g), material removed after a valid counter-notice comes back not less than 10 and not more than 14 business days later, unless the claimant files a court action.
  • YouTube's Copyright Match Tool opens to any channel that has filed a valid copyright removal request, but only finds matches if you were the first to upload the video.
  • Under 17 U.S.C. 512(f), knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing makes you liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

A copyright takedown is a legal notice, not a community report. Every platform below runs it through a separate form, asks for the same core statements that US law sets out, and passes some of your details to the person you report. The differences are in how much of your identity travels, what happens to the uploader's account, and whether the platform will find copies for you next time. Every rule below comes from the platforms' own help and policy pages and the US statute, read on 7 October 2026.

If you are on the receiving end of a strike instead, the appeal side is in strikes and appeals by platform.

Where do I report a stolen video or photo on each platform?

Checked

Platform Copyright form Your details sent to the uploader What happens to the uploader Restore after counter-notice Proactive tool Source
YouTube Copyright removal form, or copyright@youtube.com Name of the copyright owner, your primary email, your full legal name, your description of the work A copyright strike. 3 strikes in 90 days: account subject to termination Claimant has 10 US business days to respond, then the video is reinstated Copyright Match Tool; Content ID for large catalogues Removal requests, counter notification
TikTok Copyright report form or in-app "May" include the copyright owner's name In-app notice and an appeal; repeat infringers banned "in appropriate circumstances" No day count stated; content may be reinstated if no court action is filed Option on the report form to block future copies of the same video Intellectual Property Policy
Instagram and Threads Copyright report form Rights owner's name, your email, the details of your report Repeat infringers: account may be disabled, posting limited "Can take up to 14 working days" Rights Manager (scans Instagram and Facebook) Instagram Help, Facebook Help
Facebook Copyright report form Rights owner's name, your email, the details of your report Repeat infringers: account, Page or group can be lost; posting limited "Can take up to 14 working days" Rights Manager; Content protection for creators Facebook Help
X IP report forms A full copy of the notice: name, address, phone, email Suspension under the Repeat Infringer Policy Restore may follow if no court action is notified within 10 business days None named in the policy X Help
Pinterest Copyright form or copyright@pinterest.com "May" send the complete notice: full legal name, copyright owner, contact information Repeat infringers' accounts disabled or terminated, at Pinterest's discretion "Can take up to 14 business days" Content Claiming Portal Pinterest copyright policy

"No day count stated" means the platform's page gives none. Meta's pages say "working days" where the statute says business days. The statute's 10 to 14 business day window still sets the outer frame for US notices (see the counter-notice section below).

The copyright owner, or someone authorised to act for them. Meta says it plainly for both apps: "Only the copyright owner or their authorised representative may file a report of copyright infringement" (Facebook Help). YouTube names an attorney as an example of an authorised representative (YouTube Help). X and Pinterest require the same, and the US statute builds it into the notice itself: a signature of "a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner" (17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3)(A)).

If a fan spots your video on another account, they cannot file for you. Meta's advice to them is to let the rights owner know.

The statute lists six elements, and every form here is built around them (17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3)(A)):

  1. A physical or electronic signature.
  2. Identification of your copyrighted work.
  3. Identification of the infringing material, with enough to locate it.
  4. Your contact information.
  5. A statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorised by the owner, its agent or the law.
  6. A statement that the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorised to act for the owner.

Platform specifics on top of that:

  • YouTube: one request covers individual videos. You "can't submit a copyright removal request for an entire channel or playlist" (YouTube Help).
  • X: typing your full name counts as the signature. Give a direct link to each post, or say if the copy is the header or avatar; X writes that a link to a profile page is insufficient (X Help).
  • Instagram and Facebook: URLs leading directly to the content are "the easiest way" to locate it (Instagram Help).
  • Pinterest: the URL of the Pinterest content plus your full legal name and signature (Pinterest).

Does a re-upload, crop or edited copy count?

A straight re-upload of your file is the clearest case. Beyond that, the line is drawn by copyright law, not the platform. TikTok's summary: copyright protects "an original expression of an idea" but "does not protect underlying ideas or facts" (TikTok). Instagram adds that copyright does not protect names, titles and slogans (Instagram Help). So someone copying your format or concept is usually not a copyright case. Someone reposting your footage with a new caption usually is.

X lists the uses it acts on: a copyrighted image used as a profile or header photo, a copyrighted video or image uploaded to X, and posts linking to infringing material (X Help). X and YouTube both tell you to consider fair use before filing. YouTube says a match "doesn't mean it's infringing" and reviewing it is your job (YouTube Help).

Will the uploader see my name and email?

Usually yes. This is the point most people miss.

  • YouTube lets the uploader request a copy of your request with the copyright owner's name, your primary email, your full legal name and your description of the work. The copyright owner's name is also shown publicly in place of the removed video (YouTube Help).
  • Instagram and Facebook "regularly provide the rights owner's name, your email address and the details of your report" to the person reported. Meta suggests a generic business or professional email for that reason (Facebook Help).
  • X forwards a full copy of the notice, "including your name, address, phone and email address". If that is a problem, X suggests using an agent, who must still identify you as the owner (X Help).
  • Pinterest may send the complete notice, including your full legal name and contact information (Pinterest).
  • TikTok "may provide the user with information about your report, such as the name of the copyright owner" (TikTok).

Compare that with an impersonation report on Instagram, which is anonymous "except if you're reporting an intellectual property infringement" (Instagram Help).

What happens to the account that stole my content?

  • YouTube: a valid removal request gives the uploader a copyright strike. With three in 90 days, the account "is subject to termination". A strike expires after 90 days once the uploader completes Copyright School (YouTube Help). You can also schedule the removal to take effect in 7 days, which gives the uploader that window to take the video down and avoid the strike (YouTube Help).
  • TikTok: the uploader gets an in-app notice and can appeal. TikTok bans accounts that repeatedly infringe, "in appropriate circumstances".
  • Instagram and Facebook: repeat infringers can have the account disabled or a Page removed, and lose posting and features. Content restored by a valid counter-notice is not counted against them.
  • X: multiple complaints can mean suspension under the Repeat Infringer Policy. Re-posting removed material "may result in permanent account suspension".
  • Pinterest: accounts of people who repeatedly infringe are disabled or terminated "in appropriate circumstances and at our discretion".

Of the pages cited here, only YouTube's give a strike count. US law makes a repeat infringer policy a condition of the platform's safe harbor (17 U.S.C. 512(i)(1)(A)).

What if the uploader files a counter-notice?

The uploader can answer your notice with a counter-notice: a signed statement, under penalty of perjury, that the removal was a mistake, with their contact details and consent to a US court's jurisdiction (17 U.S.C. 512(g)(3)). The platform forwards it to you. Their contact details now reach you, the same way yours reached them.

Then the clock runs. Under 512(g)(2)(C), the platform puts the material back "not less than 10, nor more than 14, business days" after receiving the counter-notice, unless you notify it first that you have filed an action seeking a court order. YouTube gives the claimant 10 US business days to respond, after which the video is reinstated (YouTube Help). X uses 10 business days. Instagram and Facebook say restoration "can take up to 14 working days", and Pinterest "up to 14 business days". So if you intend to sue, plan to file and notify the platform within 10 business days.

What tools find copies before I have to?

  • YouTube Copyright Match Tool. Available to any channel that has filed a valid copyright removal request, and to Partner Program channels on the Copyright page in YouTube Studio (YouTube Help). It looks for full or nearly full re-uploads of your videos. After you remove a video that used your song or audio, it can also surface other audio matches, including ones where the audio was replaced or dubbed. It will not surface matches if you were not the first to upload the video, or if someone used only a portion of your song or audio. For each match you can archive it, request removal, or send the uploader a pre-written email (YouTube Help).
  • YouTube Content ID. For owners of exclusive rights to "a substantial body of original material that is frequently uploaded to YouTube". A match can be blocked, monetized (ads run on the copy, "sometimes sharing revenue with the uploader") or tracked, and the choice can differ by country (YouTube Help). Content ID needs exclusive rights, and YouTube lists mashups, compilations, remixes and recordings of performances as material that may not be exclusive (YouTube Help).
  • Meta Rights Manager. Rights holders upload reference files, and the tool scans Facebook and Instagram for matches. Scaled access is by application, with tooling "specific to a content owner's demonstrated needs". Meta also lists Content protection, which uses the same technology to detect video matches and is aimed at creators. Actions include keeping a match visible only to the account that posted it, or sending a copyright report (Facebook Help).
  • Pinterest Content Claiming Portal. Owners of exclusive copyright can apply; approved rights holders upload their content and choose whether it appears on Pinterest, for existing and future matches (Pinterest).
  • TikTok. When you report through the online form, you can ask TikTok to prevent future copies of the video; if it is removed, TikTok uses "best efforts" to stop the same video re-appearing (TikTok).

X's policy page names no equivalent matching tool for rights holders.

If the account is copying your work, it is copyright. If it is pretending to be you, it is impersonation, a different form with different rules. If it uses your brand name or logo, it is trademark: Instagram notes that names and slogans fall outside copyright but may be covered by trademark (Instagram Help). An account that does both can get both reports.

Impersonation forms:

Does the EU Digital Services Act change anything?

It adds two checkable duties for hosting platforms. When you send a notice, the platform must tell you its decision "without undue delay" (DSA Article 16(5)). When it restricts the uploader's content, it must give them a statement of reasons that includes the ways to contest the decision (Article 17(1) and (3)). TikTok also runs a separate EU form, citing Article 17 of the EU Copyright Directive, for asking that your music or audiovisual works be made unavailable on TikTok in the EU (TikTok).

What happens if I file a false claim?

Section 512(f) makes anyone who "knowingly materially misrepresents" that material is infringing liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees (17 U.S.C. 512(f)). TikTok warns that a misleading report will be denied and may lead to 512(f) liability. YouTube can disable Content ID access for claimants who repeatedly make erroneous claims (YouTube Help). Clips you licensed out, collabs and brand content you granted usage rights for are the usual traps. Check your agreements first; usage rights and partnership ads covers what those grants usually include.

Pre-filing checklist

  1. Your original file, with its creation date, and the URL and publish date of your own first post.
  2. Every infringing URL, one per post. Not the profile page (X rejects that) and not a whole channel or playlist (YouTube rejects that).
  3. Screenshots of each copy with its account name and date visible, in case it is deleted and re-posted.
  4. Proof of authority if you file as an agent or for a team member's work.
  5. A business email you are fine with the uploader seeing. On X, also your address and phone.
  6. A fair use check. Commentary, criticism and parody can be lawful uses even without permission.
  7. Your licences. Confirm you never granted the account, a brand or a partner the right to use it.
  8. On YouTube, scheduled or immediate. The 7-day scheduled option gives the uploader a chance to delete and avoid the strike.

Should I report, ask the uploader, or monetize it?

  • Ask first when the account looks like a fan or a small creator and you want the post down without a fight. X and TikTok both suggest contacting the user before filing. It costs nothing and keeps your contact details private.
  • Report when the copy competes with you, the account is a repost farm, or asking was ignored. Expect your details to be shared, and be ready to act within 10 to 14 business days if a counter-notice arrives.
  • Monetize or track when you have Content ID and the copy is bringing views you can earn from. Content ID can run ads on the copy instead of removing it, and the choice can differ by country.
  • License it when a brand or media page is using your work and a fee is worth more than a takedown. A written grant fixes the terms going forward.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report a stolen video if I am not the owner?

No. Meta, YouTube, X and Pinterest only accept copyright reports from the owner or an authorised representative. Tell the owner instead.

Will the person who reposted my video see my name?

On most platforms, yes. YouTube may share your full legal name and email, Meta shares the rights owner's name and your email, X forwards the full notice including address and phone, and Pinterest may send the whole notice. Filing through an agent limits what is exposed.

How long until a counter-noticed post comes back?

Under 17 U.S.C. 512(g), not less than 10 and not more than 14 business days after the platform receives the counter-notice, unless the claimant tells the platform it has filed a court action.

Yes. Instagram and Facebook have a retraction process, X has a DMCA retraction form, and YouTube lists getting a retraction from the claimant as one way a strike is resolved.

Can I report someone using my photo as their profile picture?

On X, yes: a copyrighted image used as a profile or header photo is one of the uses X's copyright policy covers. If the account is also pretending to be you, file an impersonation report as well.

Sources

All read on 7 October 2026.

Written by the Tallyterms editors. Each rule links its primary source, opened on the date shown; how that works is in the editorial policy.