Updated 2025 — Practical, step-by-step instructions with DSAR/DMCA templates, checklist, and contact templates for AI providers.
Also read: AI Copyright Battles Explained • EU DSA: What It Means For You
Why this matters
- Large language models often train on public web content — your posts, comments, and images can be included.
- If your work is used without permission it may be reproduced or monetized by companies you never authorized.
- Depending on where you live you may have legal rights (GDPR, CCPA) or takedown options (DMCA).
Quick 5-step action plan (do this now)
- Find & list where your content exists — blogs, forums, social posts, GitHub, image hosts.
- Remove or restrict content you control — delete, set private, or use robots/meta tags.
- Send DSAR / DMCA / CCPA takedown requests to hosts and platforms.
- Contact AI companies with precise URL examples and ask for exclusion/removal.
- Document everything and escalate to regulators if needed.
Step 1 — Locate your content (Where was your data used?)
Create a spreadsheet with columns: URL, Site, Content type, Date, Visibility, Action taken.
Search tips: use site-specific operators e.g. site:example.com "Your Name", search social profiles, GitHub, Reddit, paste sites and image-hosts.
Related guide: A short explainer on how data flows during emergencies
Step 2 — Remove or restrict content you control
If you can edit the content, do one of these:
- Delete the post or image.
- Change visibility to private/friends-only.
- Use robots.txt or <meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow"> to block future crawling (won't remove copies already taken).
Step 3 — Send targeted legal / takedown requests
Three request types commonly used:
- DSAR (GDPR) — access & erasure requests in EU/UK.
- CCPA request — if you're protected by Californian law (or similar state laws).
- DMCA takedown — for clear copyright infringement hosted by US-friendly hosts.
Template: Short DSAR / Erasure request (GDPR)
To: [data controller / privacy contact email] Subject: Data Subject Access Request & Erasure Request (GDPR Article 15 & 17) Dear Data Protection Officer, I am [Full name]. Please provide records of personal data you process about me (Article 15 GDPR) and remove personal data where no legal basis exists (Article 17 GDPR). Examples of content: [list URLs]. Please confirm removal from your systems and any training or derivative datasets, and provide a written response within one month. Sincerely, [Name, email, proof of identity attached]
Template: DMCA takedown (copyright)
To: [hosting provider DMCA agent email] Subject: DMCA Takedown Notice I, [Your Name], declare under penalty of perjury that I am the copyright owner of the material described below and it is being used without authorization. Infringing URL(s): [list URLs] Original content URL: [your original post URL] Contact: [email, phone] Signature: [typed name]
Step 4 — Contact AI companies & model owners
Major AI providers accept data removal or opt-out requests (policies differ). Send them:
- Exact URLs and timestamps
- Evidence of original ownership (links, timestamps)
- A clear request: confirm whether they used your content & ask to exclude it from future training and delete stored representations
Template: Contact to AI provider
To: [AI provider privacy / support email] Subject: Request to remove my personal content from training datasets Hello, My content at [list URLs] appears in public sources that may have been used to train your models. I request: 1) Confirmation whether content from these URLs was used. 2) If used, please exclude these URLs from future training and delete any stored representations tied to my data. Proof attached: [original content links / screenshots]. Regards, [Name, contact email]
Step 5 — Data brokers & aggregator opt-outs
Find your profile on major data brokers and follow each platform's opt-out process. This is tedious but reduces copies appearing in future crawls. Keep screenshots of opt-out confirmations.
Tip: Create a template email and reuse it (customize URLs per broker).
If you live in the EU / UK — GDPR powers
GDPR gives rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection. Use national Data Protection Authority if a company refuses without lawful basis.
If you live in the U.S. — CCPA & state laws
California's CCPA/CPRA provides deletion and opt-out rights for Californian residents; other states are adding similar protections. Where laws are weaker, prioritize DMCA and platform-level removals.
Technical measures you can apply (prevention)
robots.txtand<meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">on pages you control- Watermark images & add EXIF stating “Not licensed for AI training”
- Publish a clear copyright/licensing notice: “Not licensed for machine training without permission”
FAQ
Q: Can AI models fully forget me?
A: Not instantly. You can reduce future inclusion (opt-outs, DSARs), delete originals, and request deletion. Copies in archived datasets may persist.
Q: Will sending a DSAR guarantee removal?
A: Under GDPR, if processing is unlawful you can request erasure and platforms must comply unless lawful reasons to retain exist.
Q: How do I prove my content was used in training?
A: Use distinctive phrases from your content to test model outputs, document matches, and include URLs/timestamps in your requests.
Checklist — Copy & use
- 🔲 Make a spreadsheet of all public URLs
- 🔲 Remove or privatize content you control
- 🔲 Send DMCA to infringing hosts
- 🔲 Send DSAR/erasure to EU platforms
- 🔲 Send opt-out / removal requests to AI providers
- 🔲 Opt-out at major data brokers
- 🔲 Save all responses and escalate if refused.