How To End Revenge Porn (NSFW)
How To End Revenge Porn (NSFW)
Before we begin, this is a disclaimer that this post is NSFW (Not Safe For Work). While it’s a topic that should be addressed more openly, the contents of this post are explicit/sexual in nature, which could cause problems if your boss, HR manager, or teacher sees you looking at it on company time or while in class.
Of course, if you’re afraid of your teachers or boss seeing your browsing activity, you can always download and use a high-quality VPN that will allow you to mask your IP address and prevent snoopers from looking at your browsing activity… But that’s another topic.
In today’s post, we’re going to be discussing revenge porn. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, perhaps you’ve seen it, or perhaps you’ve been the unwitting victim of it. Whatever the case may be, we hope that you’re able to learn something from this post so that you can help prevent and end revenge porn.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
What Is “Revenge” Porn?
If you’re new to the subject, then you may be wondering, “What the heck is revenge porn, in the first place?”
Well, as the term implies, revenge porn is often used for the purpose of revenge or “getting back” at an ex. After the couple breaks up, one party (who happens to have an explicit video) decides to leak the video on a pornography website, social media, or shares it directly among their friend group.
Another common way that revenge porn is obtained is through unsecured internet connections. For example, if your home internet connection is unsecured, then a hacker could hack into your internet, access your smart devices and webcams, and then film you without your knowledge or consent.
One of the best ways to prevent this is by creating a strong password for your wi-fi network and using a secure, fast VPN like Surfshark to encrypt your internet traffic and make sure that you’re not the victim of a hack or data breach.
Not cool, right?
Generally speaking, women are victimized by revenge far more often than men are, as there’s usually more societal judgment directed towards sexually active women than men (it’s messed up but true).
That being said, not all “revenge porn” is motivated by revenge. The term has evolved to include porn that’s simply taken without the consent of certain individuals. Perhaps it’s just one partner or it could be multiple partners involved in a threesome or foursome. Whatever the case may be, there’s somebody who’s having their sexual video released and shared without their consent, and that’s a big problem.
Is Revenge Porn Illegal?
Up until recently, revenge porn wasn’t exactly illegal. It was one of those things that sadly got swept under the rug and was often forgotten about unless the victimized party had enough money to hire a lawyer to get the video taken down and pursue legal action against the perpetrator.
However, just earlier this year, a major victory was had in the area of revenge porn…
Just recently, the United States Congress passed an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act. The amendment (titled SHIELD) effectively ruled that revenge porn is illegal in all shapes and forms. Any unauthorized sexually explicit content (including private messages, pictures, videos, or GIFs) that is distributed without the consent of one or more parties involved is 100% illegal and in violation of the updated amendment.
This amendment was pushed for years by the CCRI (Cyber Civil Rights Initiative), and was finally passed, signaling a major victory for women, who are twice as likely to be targeted by revenge porn as men.
How To End Revenge Porn For Good…
Unfortunately, there’s a long way to go before revenge porn is ended for good. Just because the US has recently passed strong laws against revenge porn, doesn’t mean the rest of the world will follow as quickly. There will still be countries where women’s sexual rights aren’t respected as strongly and where women will still be victimized.
That being said, there are a number of steps that everybody can take to prevent revenge porn and ensure that they aren’t the unwitting victims of it.
How To Prevent Revenge Porn
So, how can you prevent revenge porn? Here are some helpful tips that you can employ to make sure that your private pictures and videos aren’t being distributed behind your back.
1. Don’t Let Yourself Be Filmed: First things first, the easiest way to prevent your sexually explicit content from being shared on the internet is to not let yourself get filmed, in the first place. Of course, this won’t protect you if you’re being filmed without your knowledge… But it can greatly reduce the chances of it happening.
2. Lookout For Hidden Cameras: Before having sex with a new partner, make sure that you can trust them. Even then, seemingly trustworthy individuals may have a dirty secret up their sleeve. If you have a chance, try to look for hidden cameras in the room where you plan on having sex.
Hints to look for include open laptops or webcams pointed in your direction, random objects that seem out of place and are pointed in your direction, stuffed dolls or toys with “eyes,” old smartphones that are laying around, or “security cameras.”
3. Write a Legal Contract For Consual Filming: If you do plan on filming a porno, there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s completely your right to do so. However, you should be smart about it and type up a simple legal contract signed by both you and the other individuals involved. If the pornographic content is released or distributed without your consent, you can use this contract as grounds for a lawsuit against the unauthorized distributor.
4. Report Unauthorized Use Of Your Film: If you ever see that your pornographic material is posted online, make sure to report it to the webmaster. Almost all porn sites would rather remove a questionable video upon request than have to deal with a potential lawsuit. If they don’t comply, then you can contact the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s crisis hotline: 844-878-CCRI (2274).
Final Thoughts
Revenge porn is a serious problem in today’s society, and women tend to be victimized far more than men. The good news is that there are legal shields in effect designed to protect both men and women from being the victims of unauthorized distribution of their sexual content.
One of the easiest ways to prevent revenge porn is to make sure that you’re always aware of the situation and that you don’t let strangers take videos and pictures of you without consent. Another great tip is to use a VPN like PureVPN on your home network to ensure that hackers aren’t taking videos of you using your webcam or smart TV.
Lastly, if you have been victimized by revenge porn, don’t hesitate to contact the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative! They’ll help you make your case, get your content removed, and may even be able to help you pursue financial compensation in return.
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