How to Take Evidence When an AI Model 'Undresses' You: For Use in Complaints and Court

If an AI model has virtually undressed you or someone you represent, you need to preserve proof now — without making the harm worse.

Why this matters: since late 2025 the surge of AI image/chat models (notably the Grok incidents on X) has produced fresh privacy breaches and deepfake harms that are being litigated and investigated. Platforms often remove content quickly; courts and regulators require verifiable evidence: screenshots alone may be dismissed if they lack metadata, timestamps, or a verifiable chain of custody. This guide walks you, step‑by‑step, through how to capture screenshots, metadata, URLs, platform IDs and third‑party witness evidence in ways that preserve authenticity, protect privacy, and maximise your options for complaints or legal action in 2026.

Fast takeaways — what to do in the first hour

• Don’t share widely. Public reposting can worsen harm and destroy evidential value or trigger criminal laws if minors are involved.
• Capture the page as-is (screenshot + full‑page PDF) and copy the direct URL/permalink.
• Preserve original files (download images, save HTML, export message JSON where possible).
• Time‑stamp and hash your files (OpenTimestamps, SHA256) before editing or redacting.
• Get witnesses to email statements to themselves or you to create independent server timestamps.

1. Capture the visible page — safe screenshot best practices

Start with simple, reliable captures. These are essential for immediate proof and for complaints to platforms (and often the first things police or a legal team will ask for).

Desktop (recommended for completeness)

1. Open the post or chat in a desktop browser — do not log into multiple accounts or repost content.
2. Press Print → Save as PDF or use the browser's “Full page” screenshot (Chrome/Edge/Firefox developer tools: three‑dot menu → More tools → Developer tools → Command/Control+Shift+P → 'Capture full size screenshot'). This preserves the URL and shows the page context (replies, timestamps).
3. Take at least two standard screenshots (one desktop viewport, one full page) so you have redundancy.
4. Save images/PDFs with a clear filename: YYYYMMDD_HHMM_platform_postid.png/pdf (e.g., 20260115_2133_X_grok_post12345.pdf).

Mobile (if desktop isn’t available)

• iPhone: use Safari → Share → Full Page (saves a PDF with URL). For image posts, use the built‑in screenshot then tap the thumbnail → Full Page for long threads.
• Android: use browser “Print” → Save as PDF to capture full page; otherwise capture multiple screenshots top‑to‑bottom and keep filenames with timestamps.

Quick rule: always create a full‑page copy (PDF) plus image screenshots. The PDF preserves URL context and is harder to fake later.

2. Capture hidden metadata & technical proof

Screenshots are persuasive but can be challenged. Collect data that proves the screenshot reflects the original content at a time: HTTP headers, API responses, original image files, and hashes.

Save the original image file where possible

• Right‑click the image → Save image as (this saves the file served by the platform). For AI‑generated images the EXIF metadata might be sparse, but always save the served file; its server headers and file hashes are strong evidence.
• If the image is embedded in a carousel or chat, use the browser Network tab to find the image request and Save Response (DevTools → Network → reload page → filter by images → right‑click request → Open in new tab → Save).

Capture HTTP headers and JSON responses (developer tools)

1. Open Developer Tools (F12) → Network tab → reload the page and find the request that serves the post or image.
2. Right‑click the request → Copy → Copy as cURL. Paste the cURL into a text file and save it — it contains the request URL, cookies and server response headers.
3. Alternatively, use: curl -s -D headers.txt -o content.bin "" to save headers and raw content for preservation.

Produce cryptographic hashes

Before editing or redacting any file, compute a SHA‑256 hash so you can later prove the file hasn’t changed.

• Windows (PowerShell): Get-FileHash filename.png -Algorithm SHA256
• Mac/Linux: sha256sum filename.png
• Store the hash in a text file and email the hash file to yourself (server timestamp).

3. Timestamping and independent proof

Courts and regulators accept trustworthy timestamps. You can create independent proofs cheaply or free.

Fast, accessible methods

• Email to yourself: Attach the files, send to a personal email account and preserve the received message with full headers. Email server timestamps are treated as third‑party timestamps.
• OpenTimestamps / blockchain timestamping: use OpenTimestamps or a reputable paid service (DigiStamp, StampIt) to anchor your file hash to a public ledger. Save the proof file they return.
• Perma.cc / Internet Archive: Use Perma.cc (trusted by courts and libraries) to create an archive copy of a public webpage. The archive URL can be cited in a complaint.

Advanced: notarisation and expert preservation

If you are preparing for litigation, instruct a digital forensics expert to create a forensic image, produce a signed report, and provide a chain of custody. This can be decisive in court but is costlier.

4. Preserve platform identity & post identifiers

For platform complaints and legal claims you must show where the content was hosted and who posted or prompted it.

What to capture

• Permalink/URL (copy the link button or right‑click the timestamp in social platforms).
• Post ID/conversation ID (often visible in the URL or in developer tools as a numeric ID).
• Account handle and numeric user ID: save profile URL and profile page HTML via Save As → Webpage, Complete.
• Chatbot session IDs: if an AI chat includes a session or message ID, screenshot or copy the session ID and prompt text (see notes on chatbot session IDs and agent provenance).

How to find numeric IDs (example workflow)

1. Open the profile page → right‑click → Inspect element. Look for attributes like data‑user‑id or user_id in JSON blobs loaded by the page.
2. Use the Network tab to filter XHR/Fetch requests and inspect JSON responses: often the post JSON includes stable IDs.

5. Third‑party witness evidence (friends, moderators, other users)

Witness statements bolster your case. The most persuasive witness evidence comes with independent verification (their server‑timestamped email or saved social posts).

Collecting witness statements safely

1. Ask witnesses to write a short, dated statement describing what they saw and how they saw it. Provide a template (see below).
2. Ask them to email the signed statement to you and to themselves (so there’s an independent timestamp). Save the received email with full headers.
3. If a witness is willing to share their own screenshots, ask them to save original files and email those images along with their statement.

Witness template (copy‑paste friendly)

  Witness statement of [Full Name]

  Date: [YYYY‑MM‑DD]
  Contact (email/phone): [redacted if needed]

  I, [Full Name], state that: 
  1. On [date] at approximately [time] I observed [describe what you saw: post screenshot, message, prompt, URL].
  2. I accessed/viewed this evidence from [device/platform] at [time] and saved a copy at [describe where saved and method].
  3. I confirm that the attached files are copies of what I saw and were not altered by me.

  Signed: [digital signature or typed name]
  

6. Protect privacy & safety when storing and sharing evidence

Collecting evidence must not amplify harm. You might be dealing with minors, sexualised content, or private images. Follow these rules:

• Do not redistribute harmful images. Keep originals in encrypted storage (VeraCrypt container or cloud service with strong 2FA and end‑to‑end encryption).
• Create redacted copies for sharing: blur faces, names and identifying marks before sending to support teams, regulators or friends. Keep original unredacted files secure for police or legal teams.
• If minors are implicated, stop collecting visual evidence beyond what’s necessary to report; contact the police and National Crime Agency guidance — do not circulate images of minors.
• Limit who has access: use role‑based access control for legal teams; document who viewed what and when.

7. Putting your complaint together — templates & checklist

Use a short, structured complaint to platforms, regulators or the police. Below are copy‑paste templates and a checklist for your complaint kit.

Platform complaint template (short)

  Subject: Urgent: Non‑consensual sexualised AI image (request removal & records)

  Account name: [your name or victim’s name]
  Date/time of incident: [YYYY‑MM‑DD HH:MM UTC]
  Permalink/URL: [paste URL]
  Post ID / Conversation ID: [post id]

  Description: An AI model (Grok / [platform bot]) produced non‑consensual sexualised imagery of [name]. This content was generated and posted at the URL above without consent and depicts the subject undressed/sexualised. 

  Evidence attached: screenshots (full page PDF), original image file, network headers (headers.txt), SHA256 hash file, witness statements. 

  Action requested: immediate takedown, preservation of logs related to the generation (session IDs, prompt text, account ID that made request), and confirmation of retention for legal process.

  I consent to share this evidence with regulators/police. Please provide reference number and point of contact.
  

Regulator / ICO complaint checklist (UK)

• Brief description of the incident and dates
• Proof of attempts to get platform to act (support ticket number, timestamps)
• Copies of evidence (hashed and timestamped)
• Requests for what you want (removal, logs, transparency on model training data if possible)
• Whether a criminal offence may have occurred (explain if minor involved or threats/blackmail)

8. Legal signposting — what claims you can bring and to whom

Different routes may apply depending on facts. In 2026 expect stronger regulatory attention to AI misuse; however, the basic escalation pattern remains:

• Immediate safety or criminal: Contact police if images are sexual, involve minors, or there’s blackmail/extortion.
• Platform complaint: Request takedown, preservation, and logs (session IDs, prompts, requester account).
• Regulator: ICO for data protection/privacy breaches; in the UK, provide evidence you tried platform remedies.
• Civil claim: Misuse of private information, harassment, defamation, or public nuisance claims (as in recent lawsuits arising from Grok). Seek specialist counsel.

Note: since late 2025 platforms have accelerated internal preservation policies; save your own copies because platforms sometimes delete records during moderation.

9. Advanced preservation tools & forensic options (when to use them)

If you are preparing for court or a high‑stakes complaint, use specialised services:

• Digital forensic firms to image devices and capture server metadata.
• Legal disclosure services that manage redaction and produce verified bundles.
• Expert witnesses who can testify on chain of custody, hashing, timestamping and the authenticity of files.

Costs vary; ask firms for fixed‑price evidence preservation packages and get an estimate for a court‑ready report.

10. Recent trends (late 2025—early 2026) and what they mean for evidence

Key developments you should know:

• Regulatory focus on AI outputs: Regulators in the UK and EU increased scrutiny after high‑profile Grok incidents in early 2026. Expect regulators to ask platforms to retain logs, prompt texts and account request records — so request preservation formally and quickly.
• Faster platform takedowns: Platforms are more likely to remove content promptly but may not preserve full provenance for users — that makes your independent preservation critical.
• Improved forensic timestamping tools: Free options like OpenTimestamps are widely accepted as supplementary evidence. Blockchain anchoring is increasingly used in expert reports.
• Legislative activity: Domestic and international lawmaking around AI accountability is accelerating; evidence standards are tightening and courts are expecting more technical provenance.

11. Practical checklist before you file a complaint or go to court

1. Collect full‑page PDF and at least two screenshots (desktop/mobile).
2. Save original image file(s) and capture network headers / JSON responses.
3. Compute and store SHA‑256 hashes; timestamp/hash via OpenTimestamps or a paid notary.
4. Get witness statements emailed with headers; save those emails.
5. Redact copies for safety; keep originals encrypted and offline.
6. Send a preservation request to the platform (copy your ticket reference in any regulator complaint).
7. If criminal conduct is suspected, contact police immediately and hand originals to them or to a forensic expert.

Final notes — what we recommend right now

If you’re reading this because an AI model undressed you or someone you care for, act quickly and preserve evidence in the order above. Do not share harmful imagery online — it compounds the abuse and may be illegal. Use the templates above to speed the process, and consider an expert if you expect to litigate.

Downloadable complaint kit

We’ve prepared a ready‑to‑use complaint kit (templates, witness statement forms, checklist and a short script for police reporting) that you can copy into your documents. Use it to assemble a dossier for a platform, regulator or your solicitor. If you’d like a lawyer recommendation or help with a tailored preservation letter, consult with a specialist in digital evidence or a consumer law solicitor experienced with AI harms.

Call to action

Preserve now — don’t wait. Gather the screenshots, save original files, compute hashes and email timestamped copies to yourself and your witnesses. If you need ready‑made templates and a printable checklist, download the Complaints.UK AI Evidence Kit and follow the step‑by‑step workflow to submit to the platform, the ICO or the police. If you want help building a court‑ready bundle, contact a digital forensics specialist recommended by Complaints.UK.

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