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Tag: Revenge Porn

All the latest breaking news on Revenge Porn. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Revenge Porn.

  • Here’s what you can do if your private photos are shared online without your permission

    Here’s what you can do if your private photos are shared online without your permission

    With more and more of us sharing pictures that would make a porn studio exec blush, we asked a leading solictor what you can do if you find your pictures have been leaked online without your permission.

    Phil Gorski at Blacks Solicitors reveals the steps you can take to protect your data and your private pictures if you become a victim of hacked data or revenge porn.

    Be sure before you send…

    CREDIT: ©-Vadymvdrobot-Depositphotos

    “The sort of easy thing to say but rather difficult thing to do is, where these images are taken consensually then you need to be thinking very carefully about whether you actually want to do it or not. Not putting yourself in the position where there are images around in the first place is the easy fix but not necessarily something that someone will always want to do.”

    Get in contact with the publisher of the picture.

    ©-Maridav-Depositphotos

    “If something does get out there, then the first thing that anybody should do is get in touch with the site concerned if it’s an online publication. Because, by-in-large, if a site has a good reputation, if it’s a Facebook or a Google or whatever, they will react very quickly to remove the images.

    “There are systems in place where users can actually click on the right place and say, ‘This is what it is, this is where it is and you need to take it down.’”

    Revenge porn is a crime. Report it.

    “Last year there was a new piece of legislation introduced, which actually set out the specific crime of revenge porn. There is a specific charge that can be brought and so the option is there and should probably be taken if the information has been distributed to a large number of people.

    “What the legislation says is that where you’ve got photographs and the phrasing is, “… of a private or sexual nature …” That doesn’t mean you have to be showing intimate body parts or anything like that. It can be in a sort of context that’s perceived to be sexual.

    “If they are disclosed and it’s done without consent and the purpose of disclosing them was to cause distress or embarrassment, which when you think about it, it would be very difficult to not be the case. Then, there’s a potential crime that’s taken place.”

    An injunction?

    WilliamCho / Pixabay

    “All of these images would be considered to be of a private nature regardless of the criminal side of things. You would, where someone like me might be involved, a civil litigation lawyer would be, think about whether there’s a possibility of an injunction on privacy grounds.

    “That’s something that you would have to be a rich celebrity to afford, unfortunately.”

    Remember the Barbara Streisand effect.

    CREDIT: ©-s_bukley-Depositphotos

    “There’s a really interesting case in relation to privacy law that dates back a while involved Barbara Streisand and … and it’s led to something called the Streisand effect, which basically (means) sometimes you’re much better off not making a fuss because the coverage of your legal proceedings lead to far more attention than there was in the first place.”

  • Charity urges teenagers to send naked mole rat pictures instead of nudes

    A charity has urged teenage boys to send pictures of naked mole rats instead of their genitals in a bid to prevent criminals obtaining pictures for blackmail purposes

    The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP) has asked teenage boys not to send pictures of their penises but instead to send pictures of the naked mole rat to prevent cyber criminals from obtaining illicit pictures which they can use to extort and blackmail.

    Executive director Lianna McDonald said,

    “Awareness is critical because you can’t avoid a threat you don’t know about,

    “Sextortion is based on deceiving youth and obtaining sexual images – we need to drive home the Don’t Get Sextorted message that teens don’t send one.

    “We must break down the communication barriers around embarrassing topics for teenagers. Our campaign gives teens, parents and educators an easy ‘way-in’ to a tough conversation.”

    According to the charity, there has been an 89 percent increase in the last two years in sextortion of teenage boys.

    The charity has made downloadable images and memes of the mole rat available, which they have encouraged people to send.

  • Yikes. You could go to prison for sharing a SNAPCHAT image

    Yikes. You could go to prison for sharing a SNAPCHAT image

    Ever thought of screengrabbing someone’s Snapchat and sharing it? Well, be careful because if you do, you could face two years in prison.

    can sharing pictures put me in prison

    So Snapchat is home to a lot of naughty pictures (apparently). We’ve not spent too much time there, obvs, but reliable sources tell us this is the truth. Well, you could face up to two years in prison if you share “private” pictures of someone without their permission under British copyright law.

    That news might come as a bit of welcome relief for certain male celebrities who have had their private stash of naughty pictures released to the world recently.

    In March this year the then culture minister Ed Vaizey was asked whether steps “to prevent Snapchat images being made public without the consent of the image owner”, would be presented, by MP Jim Shannon.

    Vaizey replied,

    “Under UK copyright law, it would be unlawful for a Snapchat user to copy an image and make it available to the public without the consent of the image owner.

    “The image owner would be able to sue anyone who does this for copyright infringement.”

     

    © belchonock Depositphotos

     

    Sharing private or sexual images without permission could get you into prison type of trouble.

    We spoke with lawyer, Phil Gorski at Blacks Solicitors who told us,

    “Last year there was a new piece of legislation introduced, which actually set out the specific crime of revenge porn. There is a specific charge that can be brought and so the option is there and should probably be taken if the information has been distributed to a large number of people.

    “What the legislation says is that where you’ve got photographs and the phrasing is, “… of a private or sexual nature …” That doesn’t mean you have to be showing intimate body parts or anything like that. It can be in a sort of context that’s perceived to be sexual.

    “If they are disclosed and it’s done without consent and the purpose of disclosing them was to cause distress or embarrassment, which when you think about it, it would be very difficult to not be the case. Then, there’s a potential crime that’s taken place.”

     

    Of course, if you’re worried about your pink bits being on display to the entire world it might be best never to put them on the web in the first place. Remember nothing you share on the internet is secure.

    Gorski continued,

    “Where these images are taken consensually then you need to be thinking very carefully about whether you actually want to do it or not. Not putting yourself in the position where there are images around in the first place is the easy fix but not necessarily something that someone will always want to do.”

  • What to do if your naked pictures are leaked online

    Over the last month, a number of high profile male celebs have had private pictures hacked and leaked onto the internet.

    © belchonock Depositphotos

    We spoke to Phil Gorski at Blacks Solicitors about what steps you can take to protect your data and your private pictures if you become a victim of hacked data or revenge porn.

    Be sure before you send…

    “The sort of easy thing to say but rather difficult thing to do is, where these images are taken consensually then you need to be thinking very carefully about whether you actually want to do it or not. Not putting yourself in the position where there are images around in the first place is the easy fix but not necessarily something that someone will always want to do.”

    Get in contact with the publisher of the picture.

    “If something does get out there, then the first thing that anybody should do is get in touch with the site concerned if it’s an online publication. Because, by-in-large, if a site has a good reputation, if it’s a Facebook or a Google or whatever, they will react very quickly to remove the images.

    “There are systems in place where users can actually click on the right place and say, ‘This is what it is, this is where it is and you need to take it down.’”

    Revenge porn is a crime. Report it.

    “Last year there was a new piece of legislation introduced, which actually set out the specific crime of revenge porn. There is a specific charge that can be brought and so the option is there and should probably be taken if the information has been distributed to a large number of people.

    “What the legislation says is that where you’ve got photographs and the phrasing is, “… of a private or sexual nature …” That doesn’t mean you have to be showing intimate body parts or anything like that. It can be in a sort of context that’s perceived to be sexual.

    “If they are disclosed and it’s done without consent and the purpose of disclosing them was to cause distress or embarrassment, which when you think about it, it would be very difficult to not be the case. Then, there’s a potential crime that’s taken place.”

    An injunction?

    “All of these images would be considered to be of a private nature regardless of the criminal side of things. You would, where someone like me might be involved, a civil litigation lawyer would be, think about whether there’s a possibility of an injunction on privacy grounds.

    “That’s something that you would have to be a rich celebrity to afford, unfortunately.”

    Remember the Barbara Streisand effect.

    “There’s a really interesting case in relation to privacy law that dates back a while involved Barbara Streisand and … and it’s led to something called the Streisand effect, which basically (means) sometimes you’re much better off not making a fuss because the coverage of your legal proceedings lead to far more attention than there was in the first place.”

     

     

  • The Rise Of Revenge Porn

    Revenge porn is an issue that affects us all and is far from just a women’s issue.

    This has been made apparent in a recent high profile case appearing in the media where an openly gay journalist was sacked after his employers were notified of private photographs of him posted on a website without his consent. We read a lot about the legal issues behind revenge porn but what is actually going on in the minds of the perpetrators and the subjects of the pictures.

    What is revenge porn?

    Revenge porn is the term used to describe the distribution of sexual graphic images normally where such distribution whether physically or electronic is without the subject’s consent. The motive behind revenge porn is to cause harm so it’s not surprising that some refer to it as nothing better than a hate crime, where others view it a form of sexual abuse, with some deeming it to be cyber rape. Emotionally, this form of cyber bullying and harassment can have detrimental effects on the subject, however with a deeper level of understanding of what is going on internally we can make a greater stand against it.

    Psychology of the subject

    Subjects of revenge porn find themselves the object of scrutiny, ridicule and prejudice. Many employers are inexperienced to deal with this burgeoning issue and some have been criticised for apparently mishandling the situation based on the perceived risk to their reputation and credibility. However, it is not just subject’s work lives that can be affected. Relationships can break down because of the publishing of an affair and ultimately many have been left feeling suicidal at the negative impact revenge porn has had on their lives.

    The immediate embarrassment and anger can develop into feelings of guilt, shame, humiliation, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep disturbance, thought disturbance, victimisation and depression.

    Although men are largely free in society to bare bodies (namely chests) without repercussion, this does not allow for a more relaxed attitude to male revenge porn. The threat of harm is very real. Of the 10% of people who threaten to post revenge porn images, 60% go ahead and do so. The harm caused can be a very real trigger for mental health problems in the subject, not just depression but also PTSD is starting to be seen in revenge porn subjects.

    Understanding these are all natural responses to a difficult and unpleasant situation is the first step in taking action towards a more positive outcome. It is fine to treat the symptoms but getting to the core cause of the matter will help. Understanding the mentality of the person who set the chain of events in motion will go a long way to moving forward.

    Psychology of the perpetrator

    As regularly seen in social media, the increasingly easy access we have to a wider audience means more and more people are using social media and the internet as a channel to express their negativity.

    Revenge porn is not freedom of speech. It is a manifestation of hate.

    Thrill seekers, territory offenders, retaliatory offenders and mission offenders are the most likely perpetrators of revenge porn. These are people who live without integrity, dignity or grace and exist within the track of fear and not the track of love. They apportion blame because they cannot take personal responsibility for their actions. Blame is an unhealthy emotion as it forces the perpetrator to want the subject to feel the same negative emotions the perpetrator feels so that they themselves do not have to deal with such emotions in a helpful positive way. By retaining power over your emotions you are denying the revenge pornographer of his feed and as such you are still in control.

    Perpetrators are seeking catharsis and want to “have the last word” but it is clear by their actions that they are unhealthy weak individuals hiding behind a computer screen. Seeing them for what they really are and exposing such keeps the power with you and will unsettle them as the last thing they want is to be pitied and judged. In some cases, narcissism could be a factor for those who use revenge porn to get back at an ex having been annoyed that they were dumped before they were able to let go. In these cases it is even more so about the power struggle between two people. The best strategy here is to not engage or react where possible, make them play by your rules where you dictate how the situation will actually play out.

    Bullies see cyberspace as a place where societal accepted norms and everyday rules no longer apply. Such disassociation makes it easier for the bully to cause harm and emotional pain as they do not always see the consequences of their actions. Some bullies actually enjoy watching the suffering they cause. Posting revenge porn releases brain chemicals which reduce the stress response and negative emotions which make the perpetrator feel better. They seize control of their environment and circumstances and play out fantasies by dissociative imagination. If you don’t outwardly react in the manner they expect they will not get the repeated hit of chemicals and will eventually feel a deficit of such like a drug addict in withdrawal. It is here you know you have the upper hand and you do not have to feel like a victim because they are the ones with the issue.

    Recovering from revenge porn

    It should not be a right to consume or distribute sexually graphic images without the subject’s consent nor should it be a right to publicise such material or engage in threats or harassment to publicise such. But apportioning blame turns you into a victim. Although being the subject of revenge porn can be hurtful, it is vital that you do not allow the negative actions of others to affect your self-worth. Use the experience as an opportunity to develop.

    It is key to make better decisions about who you trust and who you allow yourself to be influenced by. Letting go of any previous bad decisions you may have made, changing your expectations and raising your standards will guide you towards avoiding attracting unhealthy or unstable people. You can create an environment where this is unlikely to happen again and as such let go of any fears you may hold on to.

    It is easy to take on a victim mentality and as such consider retaliation on the photographer themselves or perhaps someone else later down the line. It is imperative to continue to behave in a healthy dignified way, recalibrate your beliefs and actions only towards the positive by putting out to the environment that which you want to attract

    If you are the type to keep things to yourself then now is the time to reach out for support. If however you feel strongly about such and are the personality type to thrive in the limelight then take the opportunity to turn this seemingly negative situation into a positive one by bringing together your community and take a stand together against this latest form of bullying.

     

    Time to take a stand

    If we all refused to look at it, the perpetrators would lose their power and this issue would go away. Although that may be an unrealistic expectation, what we can do is stand up to these latest bullies in whatever way feels right for us.

    As a society we are constantly allowing the unacceptable to become acceptable. Although it is easy to say and harder to do, we need to rise above the behaviour of perpetrators of revenge porn and put a stop to their negative actions.

    If you are affected by the issues raised in this article and you need to talk to somebody call the LGBT Switchboard: LLGS on 0300 330 0630 or visit: http://www.llgs.org.ukor call Samaritans on 0845 790 90 90.

     

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