Revenge porn – what should you do if explicit pictures of you have been posted online?
New laws were introduced in 2015 to protect people as police and politicians look to stop a growing number of offences
REVENGE porn is one of the UK’s newest crimes as cops and politicians look to clamp down on a growing trend of ex-partners humiliating their former lovers.
The consequences of Revenge Porn can be devastating but people are often unaware of the risks or what they should do if they become a victim.
What is Revenge Porn?
The Government says: “Revenge Porn is the sharing of private, sexual materials, either photos or videos, of another person without their consent and with the purpose of causing embarrassment or distress.
“The images are sometimes accompanied by personal information about the subject, including their full name, address and links to social media profiles.
“The offence applies both online and offline and to images shared electronically in a more traditional way, so includes the uploading of images on the internet, sharing by text and e-mail, or showing someone a physical or electronic image.
“Under the new offence, private materials are those showing anything not usually seen in public.
“Sexual material not only covers images that show the pubic region, but anything that a reasonable person would consider to be sexual so this could be a picture of someone who is engaged in sexual behaviour or posing in a sexually provocative way.”
What are the laws to prevent jilted partners sharing pictures online?
A new law was introduced in England and Wales in 2015 in a bid to crack down on crimes against women.
It made it an offence to share private sexual images or videos without the subject’s consent, with a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment.
A September 2016 Crown Prosecution Service report said 206 people were prosecuted for sharing private sexual images in the first year of the offence.
Hard-hitting posters have been launched in Scotland to highlight the dangers of sharing or threatening to share intimate images – with the warning they could face a prison sentence.
Plans to order courts to get tough on stalking, revenge porn and domestic violence were unveiled on March 29.
Under new laws which will come into force offenders could be jailed for a number of years.
Justice Secretary Liz Truss vowed to “leave no stone unturned” as new guidelines on harassment, stalking, controlling and coercive behaviour and domestic abuse were published.
What can you do if you discover you have become a victim of Revenge Porn?
Anyone can become a target of revenge porn but in the majority of cases the offender is known to the victim.
Victim Support, an independent charity which provides help and information to victims of crime, say it is important for people targeted through explicit pictures not to suffer in silence
Revenge porn is a violation of privacy and people who have been targeted often feel humiliated, angry or depressed. You might feel too ashamed or embarrassed to report the crime to the police, but if you’ve experienced revenge porn it’s important to remember that you’re not to blame – only the offender is responsible for this crime taking place.
Victim Support
If you do report the crime to police it is important, where possible, to take screenshots of any social media posts or messages.
After that you can also contact any website where the images have been shared and ask for them to be removed.
If you need further advice on how to get explicit online material removed, contact the Revenge Porn Helpline on 0845 6000 459.
How can I protect myself from becoming a victim of Revenge Porn?
If you decide you want to make a sex video or take nude snaps, make sure it is done on your phone/tablet/camera and nobody else’s.
Don’t send them to anyone – no matter how much you trust them.
Even if the lucky receiver remains true to their “I-won’t-show-anyone” ethos, their phone could be stolen or their emails could be hacked.
In many Revenge Porn cases photos are shared by jealous or angry exes after a messy break-up – nobody wants to believe their loving other half would do it, but it can happen to anyone.
If someone takes a racy video or saucy snaps of you on their phone, make sure they delete them after.
Don’t take their word for it – watch over their shoulder as they erase it.
If they’re using an iPhone, then ask them to permanently delete the naughty material from their “Recently Deleted” folder.
Four quick tips to protect yourself online
- Even if you are in a relationship, think carefully before you share any sexual images with anyone
- Check your privacy settings on social media regularly to keep them up to date.
- Don’t share personal information or contact details online.
- Turn your webcam off when you are not using it.
Can I safely store intimate material on the Cloud?
No – Cloud-sharing applications such as Google Drive and Dropbox are not safe storage spaces.
They can be – and have been – hacked, putting your snaps at risk of exposure.
Facebook inboxes and Twitter or Instagram DMs are also not free from prying eyes.
Keeping your snaps offline is the best way to keep them safe – as whenever you transmit data online you risk having it hacked.
It’s a good idea to encrypt the images or videos, as even if they are found they will need decrypting before being viewed.
This should keep most prying eyes at bay – unless your jealous ex is an expert hacker.