A lawmaker in California has introduced legislation intended to crack down on “revenge porn,” the practice of posting graphic images or video of a former romantic partner online without the subject’s consent.
The bill, which was written by California State Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Modesto), would make electronically distributing sexual pictures or video without the subject’s consent a misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or up to a month in jail.
“People who post or text pictures that are meant to be private as a way to seek revenge are reprehensible. Right now, there is no tool for law enforcement to protect the victims,” said Cannella in a statement. “Too many have had their lives upended because of an action of another that they trusted. This is a common sense bill that clamps down on those who exploit intimacy and trust for revenge or personal gain.”
The bill was inspired by the death of Audrie Pott, a 15-year old student from Saratoga, Calif. who committed suicide after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a trio of teenage boys while passed out a party. Before Pott’s tragic death, graphic photos of the incident were circulated around her high school.
With the rise of websites like the now-shuttered “Is Anyone Up?,” revenge porn has become an increasingly prevalent phenomenon across the internet. While the practice is nothing new, the most recent wave of revenge porn is especially troubling, as the explicit content is often partnered with links to the subject’s social media profiles, opening the door to extensive harassment.
There have also been claims that some revenge porn sites have attempted to extort money from people hoping to get pictures of themselves taken down.
As such, a key component of what defines revenge porn in Cannella’s bill is the inclusion of information that could personally identify the subject.”As we shine a greater light on this program, more people understand laws need to be changed to keep up with this technology,” Cannella’s spokesman Jeff Macadeo told NBC Los Angeles. “Technology has moved quicker and we’re playing catch up.”
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