About
Revenge Porn refers to any sexually explicit content that is shared on the Internet without the consent of the subject pictured within. The practice is typically associated with those who seek to publicly shame ex-partners by leaking their intimate photos for strangers, friends and family members to see.
Origin
In the 1980s, the adult magazine Hustler ran a monthly feature titled “Beaver Hunt,” which featured reader-submitted photographs of nude women, some of whom subsequently sued the magazine for publishing the photos without their consent. In 2000, Italian researcher Sergio Messina coined the term “realcore” for pictures and video of ex-partners that were shared in Usenet groups.[1]
Spread
In 2008, the pornographic video site XTube claimed it was receiving weekly complaints from people claiming their exes had posted their sexually explicit videos for revenge. In 2010, housepainter Joshua Ashby from New Zealand was sent to prison for logging into his ex-girlfriend’s Facebook account and posting a nude photograph of her that remained online for 12 hours.[2]
Is Anyone Up?
In August 2010, founder Hunter Moore launched his adult media submission site Is Anyone Up?, featuring photographs and videos of anyone of legal age uploaded to the site, often including musicians and fans of the hardcore music genre. The site came under fire for frequently hosting nude photographs of women along with their full names and Facebook profiles. In April 2012, Is Anyone Up? was taken offline when Moore sold the site to an anti-bullying charity.
End Revenge Porn
In August 2012, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative launched the EndRevengePorn.org[4] site as part of an effort to criminalize the act of distributing sexually explicit media without the subject’s consent.
U Got Posted
In 2012, San Diego resident Kevin Bollaert launched the revenge porn website UGotPosted, which received over 10,000 anonymous image submissions until the site was shutdown in December 2013 after Bollaert was charged with 31 felony counts. In February 2015, Bollaert was found guilty of identity theft and extortion by a San Diego County Superior Court jury, marking the first conviction of a revenge-porn site operator.[3]
The Fappening
In August 2014, hackers leaked a large collection of celebrity nude photographs in an event known as “The Fappening”, which has been considered by some to be an example of revenge porn although the leak was orchestrated by hackers instead of jilted ex-partners.
Legal Status
In January 2014, Israel passed a law classifying revenge porn as a sex crime punishable by up to five years in prison. As of February 2015, 13 states in the United States have enacted laws against revenge porn, inlcuding Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Search Interest
External References
[1]NY Mag – A Brief History of Revenge Porn
[2]Academia – Responding to revenge porn
[3]Engadget – Revenge porn site operator convicted faces 20 years in prison
[4]EndRevengePorn.org – End Revenge Porn