State Revenge Porn Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated January 13, 2020

Intentional distribution of non-consensual porn,or "revenge porn," is a type of online harassment that occurs when an ex-partner or even a hacker posts sexually explicit images of a person online without their permission.

It has been in the news in relation to several celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, and, of course, the Kardashians. Whether we are talking about nude pictures on social media or so-called "celebrity sex tapes," the act of posting sexually explicit material online can be criminal.

But what exactly is revenge porn? Does it mean that someone wants revenge on another person and posts pornographic material containing them? Not quite. In fact, in many jurisdictions a perpetrator doesn't even need to be exacting revenge on anyone. The distributor of the material need only intend to distribute the sexually explicit video or photograph with the intent to annoy or harass the victim without their consent.

To be clear, revenge porn is a form of cyber sexual harassment or, in some cases, cyberbullying, and should be taken very seriously, particularly if minors (those under the age of 18 years old) are the subject of the revenge porn. Penalties can be steep and civil lawsuits may also arise from posting these nonconsensual, pornographic materials including:

• Injunctions;
• Infringement notices;
• Formal warnings; and
• Take-down notices.

Video credits: TALKSONLAW

Video credits: Thomson Reuters Foundation 

Answer the questions

• What do you know about revenge porn in your country?
• Have you heard of any case?
• Are there laws to deal with this?
• Why do you believe people do such things?
• Why is revenge porn surging under lockdown?