States Move to Criminalize 'Revenge Porn'

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Apr 25, 2014

States Move to Criminalize 'Revenge Porn'

Several states are pushing to criminalize “revenge porn,” the internet trend of blackmailing former significant others with shaming pictures and videos.

Colorado is the most recent state to propose legislation against revenge porn. Committee members met Thursday to discuss classifying revenge porn as a misdemeanor with fines of at least $10,000 for perpetrators Fox News reported.

26 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have introduced legislation against shaming exes online. So far Idaho, Virginia and Wisconsin’s bills have passed, making revenge porn illegal.

The other side of the issue lies with those who feel censoring what citizens post online is a violation of the First Amendment right of free speech.

Denise Maes, of the American Civil Liberties Union Colorado chapter said, “We are far from convinced that adding new criminal penalties and giving the government more free reign to monitor people’s activities, postings and correspondences online is the answer.”

Holly Jacobs, a revenge porn victim in 2009, equated shaming online with “cyber-rape.”

“It’s all about the guy having control over the woman and exploiting her in a sexual way -- the same way real-life rape does that. It violates you over and over again,” Jacobs said.



States Move to Criminalize 'Revenge Porn'