How to avoid revenge porn and what to do if you’ve been targeted

Having nude photos of yourself put on the internet without your permission is extremely upsetting. One woman said photos of her were posted by an ex-boyfriend, not once, but twice, and included her name, her job, and the city she lives in.

To avoid being a victim of revenge porn, take these steps suggested by DMCA.com.

• Don’t take any photos or yourself or have others take them if you’re nude or partially dressed. That includes videos, too.

• Don’t send nude photos or partially nude photos of yourself to anyone. Cell phones and laptops can be easily stolen or hacked.

• Educate your preteens and teens about the dangers of taking nude and partially nude photos.

• Ask anyone who takes a nude photo of you to delete it. If photos are taken by a professional, make sure you own the copyright and get the disk.

• Don’t let your friends be photographed nude or partially nude, especially at a party.

• Don’t post or upload any intimate photos or videos onto any website.

• Don’t pose for photographers at clubs or public events.

• Don’t be conned into letting someone who promises to make you a star take compromising photos of you.

In addition, be careful of an internet porn scam. Sextortion is a form of blackmail, where criminals target victims online, engage them in a “relationship,” and then coerce them into sending explicit images.

These images are then used to extort either money or sexual favors from their targets. Since victims rarely know the true identity of the online predator, sextortion cases are often harder to prosecute than those of revenge porn, said Terry Evans, president of Cybersleuth Investigations Inc., a company that helps victims of internet scams.

Thirty-eight states have revenge porn laws and three states – Arkansas, Utah, and California – have sextortion laws.

If an intimate image of you been shared without your knowledge, the Federal Trade Commission offers this list of things to do:

• Follow the steps in the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s Online Removal Guide. To get your image taken down, you’ll need to report it to the platform it’s on. This guide covers what to consider before you report, what to expect, documenting the post, and then how to report it on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
• Check to see if you live in one of the 38 states or the District of Columbia where revenge porn is illegal, then decide whether you want to talk with local law enforcement. If you do, be sure to tell them if your situation might involve domestic violence, cyberstalking, or child pornography.
• You also could consult with an attorney. There are laws that might be able to help you get your images taken down.
• If you’re thinking about hiring a takedown service, make sure you know what you’re getting. Find out what they promise to do to take your image down, and whether you can do that yourself for free. Find out how much they’ll charge, and whether it’s a one-time charge, or recurring – and for how long.
• If you experienced non-consensual pornography, need help or advice, and you live in the United States, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s crisis hotline: 844-878-2274.

If you are the victim of non-consensual pornography, take the steps above, and then tell the Federal Trade Commission if a company posts your image without your consent and won’t take it down. The FTC recently announced a lawsuit against MyEx.com and its officials for, according to the FTC, promoting revenge porn and then demanding money to take the images down.