Looking to get back at someone by posting a nude photo of them on the Internet without their consent? You might want to think again. If Rep. Jackie Speier has her way, doing will be a federal offense.
The California Democrat on Thursday introduced a bill that would criminalize nonconsensual pornography, aka revenge porn. The bill targets not only individuals who share revenge porn, but also those who profit from the further distribution of such images.
"Technology today makes it possible to destroy a person's life with the click of a button or a tap on a cell phone," Speier said in a statement. "That is all anyone needs to broadcast another person's private images without their consent. The damage caused by these attacks can crush careers, tear apart families, and, in the worst cases, has led to suicide."
She went on to say that victims today often have no way to fight back.
"Celebrities and other high-profile victims might be able take on these predators in civil courts, but the average person can't afford that option," Speier said. "Even more disturbing is the number of victims who have mustered the courage and strength to pursue criminal charges, only to learn there is no law that protects them. My bill will fix that appalling legal failure."
The bipartisan Intimate Privacy Protection Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Ryan Costello (R-Penn.), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), and Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.), would make it illegal to knowingly distribute sexually explicit material "with reckless disregard for the victim's lack of consent," regardless of whether you're looking to get back at the person, or doing it purely for your own entertainment. Violators would face up to five years in jail.
Thirty-four states have already passed laws to address nonconsensual pornography, but their approaches vary widely, and Speier says a federal law is needed. The bill has earned the support of victims' rights and feminist organizations like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and National Organization for Women, as well as social media giants Facebook and Twitter.
During a recent town hall event, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was asked by YouTube star Chrissy Chambers, herself a victim of revenge porn, how she'd address the issue.
"I will do everything I can as president to try and figure out how we can give victims like you the tools you need, and the rest of society should support, to be able to protect yourself and, by doing so, protect others," Clinton responded. She called on the online community to help those who are victims of revenge porn, cyber-stalking, bullying, and other Internet crimes. "Some of you have kept people alive, because you have been able to communicate with a person who was bullied," Clinton said, according to NY Mag's The Cut.
Some tech companies have already taken steps to remove revenge porn from their services. Microsoft last year launched a website, where people can report inappropriate content and ask for its removal from Bing search results, as well as OneDrive and Xbox Live. Several months earlier, Google implemented a similar program, promising to honor requests to remove from search results nude or sexually explicit content shared without consent.