Keep a short factual record of what you asked for, where the photograph appears and when you saw it. Then contact the person or organisation that published it, and the photography business if it supplied the image. Rights and remedies depend on the facts and the law, so seek current qualified advice rather than relying on a general guide.
Finding a photograph online that you asked not to be shared is upsetting. It can also be urgent, depending on the setting. The most useful response is calm, precise and limited to the facts. This guide describes a minimal record and a sensible order of contact. It does not decide your rights.
Why does this happen?
There are several ordinary reasons. A preference may not have reached the person who posted. A guest, a sponsor or a venue may have shared a photograph independently. An organiser may have used an image in a way that was not discussed. A preference may have been recorded but not applied to every selection.
Understanding the route helps you decide whom to contact. Our guide on organiser instructions and individual guest preferences explains how these can conflict, and the one on permission to photograph and permission to publish separates two questions that are often mixed up.
What should you keep?
Keep a short record. It protects you and makes any request easier to act on.
- A screenshot showing the photograph, the page or account, and the date
- The address of the page, if it is public
- Your recorded preference and when and how it was given
- The event name and date
- The names of those you have contacted
Do not collect more than you need. Avoid copying personal details of other people into your record. Our image-use and approval register and personal photography preference note show how preferences are normally recorded before an event.
Who is responsible?
The party who publishes an image is usually the one who can remove it. That might be:
- the organiser, on their website or social page
- a sponsor, venue or partner
- a guest who shared it
- a media outlet
- the photography business, if it posted the image itself
Start with the one that controls the page. If the photograph came from the photography business's delivery, tell the business too. We check what was recorded, what was delivered and what was agreed. Our guide on removal, withdrawal and deletion requests explains what to clarify in advance.
What should the message say?
Keep it short, polite and specific.
"Hello, a photograph from [event] on [date] appears at [address]. I asked on [date] that photographs of me not be published, and a note was made at the time. Could you please remove it and confirm when this is done? I am happy to provide a screenshot."
Do not include more personal detail than is needed. If the matter involves a child or a sensitive setting, keep the message even shorter and consider asking a qualified adviser before you send it.
What can the photography business do?
The business can check what it recorded, what it supplied and to whom. It can confirm whether your preference was noted and whether the image was part of a delivery that carried restrictions. It can ask the recipient to act, where it has a relationship with them, and it can keep its own copies in line with your request.
It cannot control a page it does not run. We do not promise removal, and we do not promise a particular outcome. Our guide on keeping records of agreed image-use restrictions shows how restrictions are tracked, and the one on a guest objecting after photographs have been shared covers a related situation.
What about the law?
Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 sets principles about personal data processed in commercial transactions. Whether it applies to your case, and what it means, depends on the facts. Other laws and contractual terms may also matter. We do not interpret them here.
A qualified adviser can review your situation, any agreement that applies and the current law. If you need to understand your rights, that is the right step. Until then, the practical steps above keep matters moving.
A hypothetical example
Imagine a participant who told the organiser before a community event that photographs of them should not be posted. A week later they see a photograph of them on the organiser's page. They take a screenshot, write down the date they gave their preference, and send a short message to the organiser. The organiser removes it the same day and confirms.
The participant also messages the photography business, which checks its record, confirms the preference was noted and asks that the delivered set be marked accordingly.
What next?
If you have not had a reply, follow up politely and restate the facts. Our hub on when plans or delivery go wrong and our guide on event photography privacy, permission and image use offer further context. If the matter is serious, seek qualified review promptly.
Checklist
- Take a screenshot showing where and when the photograph appears.
- Write down your recorded preference and when it was given.
- Identify who published it.
- Send a short, factual request to the publisher.
- Tell the photography business and ask what it supplied.
- Seek qualified advice if you need to understand your rights.
If a photograph from an event we covered has been published against your recorded preferences, send us the event date, where you saw it and what was recorded, and we will reply on our part and point you to the publisher.
Report a publication concernCommon questions
Who should I contact first?
Contact whoever published the image, since they control the page or post. Also tell the photography business if it supplied the image, so it can check what was agreed and delivered. Send the same short factual message to each.
What should I record?
Record the address or location where the photograph appears, the date and time you saw it, a screenshot, and the preference you gave and when. Keep it factual and avoid adding personal details you do not need to share.
Can the photograph be taken down?
The publisher decides whether to remove it, and the photography business can only act on what it controls. Ask clearly and politely. We cannot promise removal or any remedy in advance.
Do I have a legal right to have it removed?
That depends on the facts, the setting and the law. Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 is relevant in some cases, but we do not decide whether it applies to yours. A qualified adviser can review your situation.
What if the photograph involves a child or a sensitive setting?
Treat it with extra care and act promptly. Keep your message short, avoid sharing more detail than needed, and consider asking a qualified adviser. We do not use identifiable examples and ask for no unnecessary personal information.
Sources checked
Report a publication concern
If a photograph from an event we covered has been published against your recorded preferences, send us the event date, where you saw it and what was recorded, and we will reply on our part and point you to the publisher.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
Last reviewed: