Register →

Image theft statistics 2025: what the best public data actually shows

Marco van Oirschot·

A summary illustration of 2025 image theft statistics: one warship photo copied across many social posts, marketplace listings and search results, with small data charts

How many images are stolen online every year?

The honest answer is: nobody has a perfect global number for 2025.

Image theft is hard to measure. A stolen photo can appear on a website, marketplace listing, Instagram post, Pinterest Pin, TikTok video, ad, newsletter, scraper page, AI content site, or product page. Some copies are removed quickly. Some are never reported. Some are licensed uses that look suspicious from the outside. Some are copyright claims that turn out to be incomplete or invalid.

So we do not pretend there is one magic number.

This article brings together the best available public data from platform transparency reports, marketplace reports, copyright takedown systems, and older image-specific research. Where a number is from 2025, we say so. Where the best available number is older, we label it clearly.

Short answer: There is no reliable public global count for stolen photos in 2025. The best-known image-specific estimate is still Copytrack’s older 2019 report, which estimated more than 2.5 billion stolen images per day based on 2017 to 2018 data. For current platform data, Pinterest, Meta, TikTok and Etsy publish useful enforcement numbers, but those measure removals, notices, listings or Pins, not total image theft.

Quick summary: the most useful image theft statistics

Topic Best available statistic Year or period What it means
Global image theft estimate Copytrack cited studies saying about 3 billion images were shared online daily and around 85% were used without a valid licence, estimating more than 2.5 billion stolen images per day Published 2019, based partly on 2017 to 2018 data Often-cited image theft benchmark, but old and not a 2025 measurement
Instagram IP notices in the EU 121,175 intellectual property notices, with 36,000 resulting in content removal for policy violations Jan to Jun 2025 Instagram receives high IP complaint volume in the EU alone
Instagram organic IP removals in the EU 542,064 organic content removals for third-party IP infringement, including 368,979 automated removals Jan to Jun 2025 Meta removes large volumes of Instagram content for IP reasons
Facebook IP notices in the EU 129,103 IP user notices, with 45,392 resulting in removal for policy violations Jan to Jun 2025 Facebook had slightly more EU IP notices than Instagram in the same period
Facebook organic IP removals in the EU 1,204,943 organic content removals for third-party IP infringement, including 723,142 automated removals Jan to Jun 2025 Facebook’s organic IP removal volume was more than twice Instagram’s in this EU report
Facebook Marketplace IP removals in the EU 3,814,232 Marketplace product removals for third-party IP infringement Jan to Jun 2025 Marketplace infringement is a major enforcement category
TikTok IP takedowns More than 400,000 requests to take action and 3.8 million reactive removals for IP infringement, including counterfeit violations Jan to Jun 2025 TikTok’s H1 2025 IP report shows large-scale reactive enforcement
TikTok Shop proactive IP enforcement More than 40 million products proactively rejected from listing for IPR violations Jan to Jun 2025 TikTok Shop blocks many suspected IP violations before they go live
Pinterest copyright deactivations 270,443 distinct images and 69,850,802 Pins deactivated for copyright 2025 Pinterest is one of the clearest public sources for image-specific copyright data
Etsy IP takedowns 85,591 alleged infringement reports processed and about 832,000 listings removed 2024 Latest Etsy transparency report available at the time of review
Etsy takedown type 59% copyright, 38% trademark, 3% other 2024 Copyright is the largest IP takedown category on Etsy
DMCA takedown effectiveness in one academic study A 2024 study of non-consensual intimate media found only 5.39% of infringing URLs were removed by hosts within 48 hours, with a median host removal time over 45 days 2024 Not a photography-market study, but useful evidence that host removal is often slow

How these numbers were chosen

This article pulls from four kinds of public source: platform transparency reports (Meta, Pinterest, TikTok), marketplace enforcement reports (Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop), copyright and DMCA reporting (Google), and peer-reviewed academic research. Each measures something different: notices received, content removed, listings rejected, URLs delisted, or distinct images and Pins deactivated. None of them counts stolen photos directly. So we report every figure for what it is, label the year, and use a 2025 number where one exists. Where the best available figure is older, we say so.

The big caveat: “image theft” is not measured consistently

Before using any statistic, check what it actually measures.

A platform report may count:

  • notices submitted by users;
  • valid copyright complaints;
  • content removed after a notice;
  • content removed proactively by automation;
  • accounts disabled;
  • marketplace listings removed;
  • product listings rejected before publication;
  • Pins deactivated;
  • distinct images deactivated;
  • URLs removed from search results.

Those are not the same thing.

For photographers, the difference matters. One stolen image can generate hundreds or thousands of copies. One copyright notice can include many URLs. One marketplace seller can use many stolen images. One platform removal does not mean the same photo is gone from the rest of the web.

That is why the most useful workflow is not just “report one copy.” It is:

  1. find the copy;
  2. save evidence;
  3. check where else the same image appears;
  4. decide whether to ignore, request credit, send a takedown, invoice, or escalate.

ImageTrace is built for that gap. Platforms can report what happens inside their own systems. ImageTrace helps photographers and rights holders find public copies across websites, marketplaces, blogs and social feeds, then export evidence with the URL and screenshot.

1. The old but famous global image theft number

The most quoted image theft statistic still comes from Copytrack’s 2019 Global Infringement Report.

Copytrack reported that around 3 billion images were shared online daily, and that around 85% were used without a valid licence. Based on that, the report estimated more than 2.5 billion stolen images per day.

Read this number as history, not as a 2025 measurement. It was published in 2019 and built on December 2017 to December 2018 data. It is still useful, but it should be handled carefully.

Why it is useful:

  • it is image-specific;
  • it is easy to understand;
  • it captures the scale of the problem;
  • it is often repeated in discussions about online image theft.

Why it is limited:

  • the report was published in 2019;
  • the underlying Copytrack analysis covered December 2017 to December 2018;
  • the report is based on Copytrack user profiles and search hits, not the whole internet;
  • social platforms, marketplaces and AI content farms have changed since then.

So the honest way to read it is as an older benchmark for the scale of the problem, not a current count. Billions of images a day were used online without a valid licence according to that research, but there is no equally clear public figure for 2025. The often-repeated line that 2.5 billion images are stolen every day may be right in order of magnitude, but it rests on 2017 to 2018 data, not a fresh 2025 measurement.

2. Instagram image and IP enforcement in 2025

Meta’s Instagram DSA Transparency Report for the EU covers 1 January to 30 June 2025.

The report says Instagram received 121,175 intellectual property notices under Article 16 DSA in that period. Of those, 36,000 resulted in content removal for policy violations.

Instagram also reported 542,064 organic content removal measures in the EU for third-party intellectual property infringement. Of those, 368,979 were automated removals.

These numbers are important for photographers because Instagram is one of the first places where stolen photos are noticed. If your photo has been reposted there without permission, see photo stolen on Instagram: what to do. But the figures are not limited to photos. They cover third-party intellectual property infringement, which can include copyright, trademark and other IP-related issues depending on the reporting path and policy category.

Instagram has a large IP enforcement pipeline, but an Instagram takedown only solves the Instagram copy. It does not tell you whether the same image is also on blogs, marketplaces, Pinterest, TikTok, ads or webshops.

3. Facebook and Facebook Marketplace IP enforcement in 2025

Meta’s Facebook DSA Transparency Report for the EU also covers 1 January to 30 June 2025.

Facebook reported 129,103 user notices for intellectual property, with 45,392 resulting in content removal for policy violations.

For organic content, Facebook reported 1,204,943 removals for third-party intellectual property infringement, including 723,142 automated removals.

The marketplace number is even larger. Facebook reported 3,814,232 Marketplace product removals in the EU for third-party intellectual property infringement in the first half of 2025.

That matters for image theft because product listings often use copied photos. A stolen product photo, lifestyle image, travel photo, food image or design image can end up in a marketplace listing that is selling something commercially.

Social platforms are not only repost platforms, they are commerce platforms too. If your photo turns up in a post, check whether it is also tied to a listing, ad, shop, group or marketplace seller.

4. TikTok and TikTok Shop IP enforcement in 2025

TikTok’s H1 2025 intellectual property reporting is especially useful because it separates normal TikTok enforcement from TikTok Shop enforcement.

For TikTok itself, the report says that between January and June 2025:

  • TikTok received more than 400,000 requests to take action;
  • TikTok removed 3.8 million items reactively for IP infringement, including counterfeit violations;
  • the majority of those reactive removals were due to copyright infringement;
  • TikTok removed 30 times more products and content proactively than reactively;
  • TikTok said its original determination of an IPR violation was correct in more than 89% of cases;
  • TikTok removed more than 143 million videos globally for violating rules by trading, marketing or providing access to counterfeit goods.

For TikTok Shop, the same period shows even larger commerce-focused enforcement:

  • more than 40 million products were proactively rejected from being listed on TikTok Shop for IPR violations;
  • more than 2 million products were detected and taken down after being listed;
  • more than 530,000 videos and LIVE streams by TikTok Shop creators were removed for IPR infringement;
  • nearly 500,000 requests were processed through the Intellectual Property Protection Centre;
  • the IPPC had grown to more than 7,000 unique rightsholders since its inception.

These numbers are not all “photo theft” numbers. Some cover copyright, trademark and counterfeit products. But they are highly relevant to image owners because social commerce creates a direct path from copied content to commercial misuse.

Takeaway:

The most valuable copy of a stolen image is not always the social post. It may be the product listing, shop page, creator video, ad or live shopping stream connected to it.

5. Pinterest copyright statistics for 2025

Pinterest is one of the best sources for image-specific copyright data because its report separates “distinct image” and “Pin” deactivations.

In 2025, Pinterest reported copyright submissions by quarter:

  • Q1: 35,554 submissions;
  • Q2: 35,810 submissions;
  • Q3: 33,753 submissions;
  • Q4: 47,142 submissions.

That is 152,259 copyright submissions in 2025.

Pinterest also reported 270,443 distinct image deactivations for copyright in 2025:

  • Q1: 68,484 distinct images;
  • Q2: 66,295 distinct images;
  • Q3: 62,371 distinct images;
  • Q4: 73,293 distinct images.

The number of Pins deactivated for copyright was much larger: 69,850,802 Pins in 2025.

That difference is exactly why image theft is hard to count. One image can exist as many Pins. A “distinct image” number and a “Pin” number measure different things.

Pinterest shows how one stolen image can become many platform copies. If you count only the original stolen upload, you will badly understate how far it has spread.

6. Etsy IP enforcement: latest available data is 2024

At the time of review, Etsy’s public Impact Reporting page listed the 2024 Transparency Report as the latest transparency report, not a 2025 transparency report.

So Etsy should not be presented as 2025 data.

In its 2024 Transparency Report, Etsy said it processed 85,591 alleged infringement reports and removed about 832,000 listings. Etsy also removed about 402,000 listings for potential counterfeit violations through internal-system flags.

Etsy closed 26,754 shops for repeat infringement and/or counterfeiting violations.

The report also breaks down IP takedowns by type:

  • 59% copyright;
  • 38% trademark;
  • 3% other.

For photographers and illustrators, Etsy matters because stolen images often appear as prints, posters, templates, downloads, stickers, shirts, mugs, wall art and other marketplace products.

Marketplace theft is often more commercially important than a simple repost. If someone uses your image to sell a product, evidence matters before the listing disappears.

7. Google copyright transparency data is useful, but not image-specific

Google’s copyright transparency tools are useful for understanding search-result delisting and DMCA-scale enforcement.

But for an image theft statistics page, Google data has a limitation: it generally tracks copyright removal requests and URLs, not stolen photographs as a distinct category.

That means Google’s data is useful for:

  • DMCA trend context;
  • search-result delisting research;
  • identifying heavily reported domains;
  • understanding the scale of copyright enforcement online.

It is less useful for answering:

How many photos were stolen in 2025?

A URL delisted from Google Search is not the same as a stolen image removed from the web. The original page may still exist, and the same photo may still appear elsewhere.

8. Academic research: search delisting is fast, host removal is slow

A 2024 academic study on non-consensual intimate media examined more than 54,000 DMCA reports and over 85 million infringing URLs across more than a decade.

This is not a normal photographer-market study, and it is not limited to commercial photo theft. But it is useful because it measures how takedown systems actually perform at scale.

The study found that only 5.39% of infringing URLs were removed by website hosts within the first 48 hours, and that the median infringing URL took more than 45 days to be removed from its host. Google Search was much faster at its own layer: more than half of the URLs were deindexed from search within 48 hours. The catch is that deindexing only hides a URL from Google results. The file can stay live on the host for weeks.

Getting a URL out of Google Search is not the same as getting the file off the web. Save your evidence before you report, because the host copy can outlast the search result by weeks.

What the 2025 data says overall

The best available data points to five clear patterns.

1. There is no reliable public 2025 global count for stolen photos

The internet does not have a single central copyright counter. The best image-specific global estimate is still older Copytrack data. Current platform reports are more transparent, but they measure platform enforcement, not total image theft.

2. Social platforms now publish more IP data than before

Meta, Pinterest and TikTok all publish useful IP, copyright or DSA transparency numbers. These reports are not perfect, but they are stronger sources than generic blog claims.

3. Marketplaces and social commerce are major risk areas

Facebook Marketplace, Etsy and TikTok Shop show that image misuse is not only about reposts. It is also about listings, products, ads, counterfeit goods and creator commerce.

4. One image can create many copies

Pinterest’s distinction between “distinct image” and “Pin” is the clearest example. A single image can turn into many platform objects. That is why photographers often discover one copy first, then find many more later.

5. Reporting is not the same as monitoring

A platform can remove content on its own platform. It cannot tell you where the image is used across the rest of the web.

That is the gap ImageTrace is designed to help with. You upload a photo, review public matches, save the source URL and screenshot, export a PDF, and decide what to do next.

What photographers should do with this data

The numbers are large, but the lesson is simple.

If a photo matters commercially, do not only publish it and hope for the best.

Keep:

  • original files;
  • RAW files;
  • publication dates;
  • licence agreements;
  • invoices;
  • screenshots of infringements;
  • URLs;
  • records of takedowns, invoices and replies.

And scan important images regularly. For a guide to which protective measures, including watermarks, actually help, read watermarks for photographers: still worth it in 2026?. The first stolen copy you find may not be the most important one. A repost on Instagram may lead to a marketplace listing. A Pinterest copy may lead to a blog. A product photo may be used by many sellers.

For the practical side, see how to find stolen copies of your photos online and why Google reverse image search misses copies. For a guide to turning that evidence into a working demand letter, see cease and desist letter for photo theft: a step-by-step with template.

Image theft statistics are useful for understanding the scale of the problem. Evidence is what helps you act on your own case.

FAQ

How many images are stolen online every day?

The most quoted number is older: Copytrack’s 2019 report estimated more than 2.5 billion stolen images per day, based on studies suggesting around 3 billion images were shared daily and around 85% were used without a valid licence. That is not a fresh 2025 measurement, so treat it as older context rather than a current figure.

What is the best 2025 source for image theft statistics?

There is no single best source. For platform data, Pinterest is very useful because it reports distinct image and Pin deactivations for copyright. Meta’s DSA reports are useful for Instagram, Facebook and Marketplace IP enforcement. TikTok’s 2025 IP report is useful for TikTok and TikTok Shop. Etsy’s latest available transparency report is 2024.

Are all IP removals the same as photo theft?

No. IP removals can include copyright, trademark, counterfeit goods and other rights. Photo theft is usually a copyright issue, but platform categories are broader.

Are all copyright removals valid?

No. Platforms can reject incomplete or invalid claims. Users can appeal. Some reports are spam, incomplete or not actionable. That is why evidence matters.

Why do marketplace statistics matter for photographers?

Because stolen photos are often used to sell products. A copied photo on Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop or another marketplace can be more commercially important than a repost.

Can ImageTrace remove stolen images automatically?

ImageTrace helps you find public matches and export evidence, including URLs and screenshots. You decide what to do next: ignore the use, ask for credit, request removal, send a letter, invoice, or escalate.

Sources