Legislation to combat the practice known as “revenge porn,” drafted by California State Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), has passed the Senate Public Safety Committee. Now, the term ‘revenge’ here is used in a different way to in consensual sex. Whether you like to “make him beg for it” is of no interest to this sort of legislation.
Revenge porn is the act of posting intimate images of an individual online in order to humiliate the individual. This differs from content seen on hdpornmovies.xxx and other sites, which is made with consent.
SB 1255 would expand the scope of the law to include “selfies,” an image someone takes of themselves, and changes the requirements for prosecuting the crime.
“I was proud that California was the first state in the nation to pass a law criminalizing revenge porn,” said Cannella. “I recognized that more needed to be done to protect victims. SB 1255 will expand on my bill from last year and outlaws revenge porn in its entirety.”
SB 1255 was was supported by an unanimous 5-0 vote from the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Cannella’s SB 255 was signed by Governor Jerry Brown last year, making revenge porn a misdemeanor.
The “Revenge Porn 2.0” act, as Cannella is calling SB 1255, will protect a greater number of victims. The Cyber Civil Rights Foundation estimates that more than half of revenge porn cases involve selfies.
SB 1255 will make the law apply to anyone who distributes revenge porn knowing that the depicted person has not consented, regardless of who created the image. This means that if you have a hot night with a london escort, and take photos without permission, you could get in trouble.
“I am grateful that Senator Cannella has brought forth this new legislation to continue the battle against revenge porn,” said Dr. Charlotte Laws, a nationally recognized victims’ rights advocate whose family was affected by revenge porn. “As other states have begun to criminalize revenge porn, California should remain the leader in bringing the end to this terrible act.”
