As smartphone usage and selfie-taking rises, revenge pornography provides a new threat to online privacy. Revenge pornography, non-consensual sharing of someone else’s nude photos online, is facilitated by anonymous websites and myex.com. From there, photos explode across the internet like a can of pop shaken and opened.
In 2014, a hacker shared hundreds of private photos of celebrities across the internet. At that time, the law did not provide protection or legal recourse for such occasions. If you went to the law enforcement with your complaint of revenge porn, they told you nothing could be done.
Since then, many states have worked to amend laws to include protection of sexual privacy online. Although some states don’t provide legal protection for revenge pornography, more than thirty states in the United States do.
Who Is Targeted By Revenge Porn?
Revenge porn targets anyone and everyone.
As researchers study the trends of revenge pornography, they’ve discovered that many assumptions about targets are not true. For example, young women receive threats of nude photos being shared online but not much more than young men, older men, or older women. However, people who identify as a part of the LGBT community face more threats than a heterosexual counterpart.
But in actual photos being published online, both men and women encounter the same amount of exposure. Violation of sexual privacy online does not favor one gender over the other.
Who Would Do Something Like Revenge Pornography?
Individuals who threaten and share non-consensual photographs online fall into two categories: hackers or ex-partners. Sometimes such a threat is used to manipulate the victim. On other occasions, the perpetrator desires revenge against a former lover.
What Happens If I Find My Nude Photo Online?
If you discover a sexually explicit photo of yourself on the internet, contact the website and request that they take it down. Be sure to screenshot the image in the browser for evidence. Continue to search to see how big this problem is. Has your personal information been shared as well? Do other sites have your photo?
At this point, it may be best to contact a revenge porn lawyer.
Is Revenge Pornography Really A Problem?
Yes, especially as social media and smartphones streamline photo and media sharing. No longer are we confined to the printing press and newsie distribution. With a few clicks, anything can be made public. And with that exposure to the internet comes the possibility of becoming viral.
In cases where personal information of a victim is shared, strangers show up looking for sexual favors. Revenge porn ruins reputations, causes job loss, and ends future relationships.
If you find an non-consensual image online that violates your sexual privacy or someone threatens to post private nude photos of you online, contact a revenge porn lawyer who will take steps to protect your rights under the law.
Don’t hesitate, talk to a revenge porn attorney: (412) 626-5626 or lawyer@lawkm.com.
