What is Revenge Porn and how to avoid it?

Although new technologies such as the Internet have improved the lives of many people, they also cause new problems. One such problem is revenge porn.

If you have ever suffered from revenge porn or want to know firsthand what it is and how you can protect yourself and act against it, in this article you will find everything you need to overcome this problem.

What is revenge porn and what does it consist of?

Revenge porn is a despicable act that involves the dissemination of sexually explicit content of an individual without their consent. This heinous practice is unfortunately becoming more common and is resulting in an increasing number of reported cases to law enforcement authorities.

The act of revenge porn can take various forms. One of the most common scenarios is when a couple engages in sexual activity and records or sends sexually explicit content to each other. The recording may not necessarily be done in secret and may even be consensual.

The issue arises when one party decides to make the content public or threatens to do so, with the intention of humiliating the individual. In some cases, the perpetrator may use the content for the purpose of sextortion to achieve a specific objective.

There are also instances where the recording is done without the knowledge of one of the partners involved.

However, it’s important to note that revenge porn can occur beyond just a couple’s situation. The perpetrator may be an ex-partner seeking revenge or even a third party with malicious intent.

Is it Revenge Porn, sexting or sextortion? How to identify it

The term “sexting” comes from the union of the English terms “sex” and “texting” and refers to the sending of erotic or pornographic content via cell phones. Sexting is the sending of images and videos of sexual content between people on a voluntary basis.

Sextortion or sexual extortion consists of the threat of revealing intimate information about a victim unless the victim pays the extortionist.

A revenge porn is always a non-consensual act.

If a couple videotapes themselves having sex and then wants to share it on the Internet on the appropriate adult sites, they are free to do so as long as both parties agree.

That agreement, that situation of conformity is the one that does not exist on the part of a person when it comes to pornovengeance. On the other hand, since we are talking about extortion, it is not necessarily necessary to publish a photo or video on the Internet to be committing such a crime.

Let’s put ourselves in the case that private material has been stolen and it is sent to our computer in an email asking us for a ransom. Even if we pay the ransom for fear that the video will be published on the Internet and it will not be published as a result of the “agreement” obtained, it is still porn revenge.

In short, anything that is linked to a person’s private sexuality and is intended for a purpose without his or her consent would be revenge porn.

Remember also that extortion is not always monetary. Regardless of whether they ask for money or not, as long as the person extorting is making a personal profit from it, it will be revenge porn.

It is a crime to share private images or videos

Absolutely yes. In fact, this non-consensual pornography is recognized as gender-based violence.

You may not publish, distribute, or even store for private use by a third party any sexual content material of ours without consent.

At present, the fight for stiffer penalties for the crime of porn revenge continues. The reason given is that, in the vast majority of cases, the problems caused by pornography are much less than the penalty imposed for the crime.

We are talking about people who have committed suicide after their private material was disseminated and saw the light of day. It is certainly too much pressure that you end up having to bear for life.

What to do in case of revenge porn?

We must start by saying that this is not a simple decision.

Facing revenge porn is a tough enough thing that no one is prepared for. Precisely because of this, one of the most important parts of coping with revenge porn is leaning on family members and loved ones.

In case you are a victim of revenge porn, the first thing to do is to contact the authorities. Report it to the police and you may realize that there really are many more people in your situation, which can be a relief.

Never give in to extortionist blackmail.

A person who is blackmailing you will not be able to offer you any guarantee that, even if you pay or agree to what he asks, he will end up publishing your photos or videos on the Internet. Stand firm and let the police act in these cases.

At this point, you should consider the possibility that the material will be disseminated.

It may be the best time to seek professional help and start preparing for the situation to come as it will be possible to remove the video from the Internet.

Let yourself be helped and cared for, the people who love you will be with you at all times and you will be able to appreciate all their affection.

Finally, we recommend that in the event that the content has been published, try to stay as far away as possible from digital spaces. Try to avoid social media, the news, the press… anything that is spreading the news or helps you remember what is happening.

You may need to get away from the place where it happened for a while.

Value taking a break, disconnecting during a vacation, and above all, trying to focus on what you can control. The vast majority of these aspects will be beyond your control, so you should not be anxious about them, but move on.

Think that time heals everything and that, surely, the person who has hurt you will end up paying for it. People will support you and you will discover that there are wonderful people around you.

What if the person disseminating your private images is a minor or is your spouse or partner?

The law establishes in article 197.7 P2 that the penalty shall be imposed in its upper half when the acts have been committed by the spouse or by a person who is or has been united to him/her by an analogous relationship of affectivity, even without cohabitation, when the victim is a minor or a disabled person in need of special protection, or when the acts have been committed with a lucrative purpose.

If someone disseminates an image or recording of a person, even if it was obtained with his or her consent, if it seriously infringes his or her privacy, criminal liability is incurred. No consideration should be given because such material is obtained in the course of a relationship.

How to avoid falling into revenge porn? Safety tips and resources

Avoiding revenge porn is not easy, but you can minimize your risk by taking some of these precautions:

• The first and most obvious thing would be not to share any type of sexual content of yours over the Internet. On the other hand, if you have it, it is advisable that the storage device does not have an internet connection, remember that the material can be stolen through the network.
• Many couples share sexual content online. This does not necessarily have to be bad, it is just another way to enjoy sexuality. If you are considering doing so, first try to analyze the level of trust you have with that person. Sending a photo of yourself to your partner of six years ago will not be the same as sending it to the guy you met last night.
• Finally, if you decide to send the photo, try to protect your identity as much as possible. This is simpler than it seems. Send a picture of your body where your face or any other sign that could identify you is not visible.
  By these signs we mean tattoos, piercings or any other identifying feature by which you could be distinguished. If you manage to keep all these signs safe, no matter how many times the photo is uploaded, surely no one will be able to recognize you on the net.

Revenge porn is a truly horrible thing that can happen to anyone who has not taken precautions. If you are having problems of this type we advise you to contact us and we will help you to remove this content from the Internet. We hope we have helped you understand what is revenge porn and how to avoid it. Stay safe!