Charlotte Laws, a noted anti-revenge porn activist, played a large part in putting a stop to Hunter Moore’s revenge porn website and her investigation aided the FBI, eventually leading to Moore’s arrest. Photo courtesy of www.thefrisky.com
One of the most heinous form of offensive content is revenge porn. This form of pornography is very hurtful and damaging to those who are victimized by it. In most cases, the photos are posted by a disgruntled ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend after a relationship goes sour. Then the pictures that were taken all in fun while they were together become a means for one partner to hurt the other. For a while now, revenge porn has gone on with little hindrance as it wasn’t exactly illegal, but more and more states are passing laws that do make it illegal. A few of the main revenge porn sites have been shut down, though some have come back up under different domains. Still, the fight continues. There are a number of organizations that have their own websites dedicated to combating online content of this type.
Perhaps the biggest issue with revenge porn is the difficulty involved with getting photos removed from these sites. Some claim that all you need to do is file a request for removal and it will be done, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes it requires additional steps including legal action. There are several things you can do if you are a victim and the site won’t remove the photos at your request. First, you can check to see if this type of content is illegal in your area and if so, file a police report so that the authorities can begin investigating. Secondly, contact a lawyer. Even if revenge porn postings aren’t yet illegal in your area, you may still be able to file suit on the grounds of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, or perhaps copyright infringement if you were the one who took the pictures. Finally, if you were the one who took the pictures (selfies), you could file a DMCA Notice. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act passed in 1998 does a number of things including heightening penalties for internet copyright infringement. If someone posts photos of you that you took and does so without your consent, you can submit a DMCA take down notice to the webmaster of the site in question. DMCA Defender is an organization that offers an affordable service to help revenge porn victims get their photos taken down. Click on the image below to learn more.
So, what can you do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of revenge porn? The first thing that comes to mind is “Don’t take nude pictures”, but then some people actually enjoy taking them and probably wouldn’t want to just stop doing it. Still, it’s best to avoid taking intimate pictures unless you take steps to ensure that the pics would not be seen by anyone but you. So even if you are determined to take a few shots here and there, do so responsibly and keep yourself out of trouble. Below is a flow chart that will help you determine which course of action would be best if you’ve taken nude photos or if you’ve got nude photos of someone else in your possession.
Other Resources
Aside from the above, there are some other useful resources which you can explore if you or someone you know is a victim of revenge porn. Have a look at the below links for more details.
Helpful Tips For Victims of Revenge Porn: website for attorneys Ridder, Costa & Johnstone LLP that gives you some useful information
Without My Consent: website run by attorneys in California promoting the cause and helping victims.
Army of She: site founded by a group of revenge porn victims in Texas to raise awareness and help victims fight back
Women Against Revenge Porn: A victim and advocate sharing her story and providing helpful hints for photo removal.