Words by Nick Slay
One of the worst fears when you’ve had a bad break up for millenials in New York City, isn’t just massive amounts of ice cream consumed or finding a new roomate to pay the rent. It’s not even the dreaded change of relationship status on Facebook or the subliminal posts on Instagram. For lovers who didn’t ‘snap’ their intimate pics to their significant other, a rising fear is ‘Revenge Porn.’ Those once sweet messages that start off with, “send me a pic” at 3am or kinky videos done just for fun can now be ammunition for jilted lovers looking for payback.
In the midst of so many sexual misconduct allegations being levied against the most powerful men in the entertainment industry, many women (and sometimes men) are wary of retaliation from vengeful exes looking to get back at their former flames by using sexually explicit video or nude pictures online. Sometimes posted to cause embarrassment or other forms of harassment, the City Council voted to ban the practice that has become all too commonplace among normal citizens. Once a practice that resulted on a headline on TMZ or fodder for gossip websites is now a serious problem for anyone that was in a relationship with someone who owns a phone and access to the internet.
The city will crack down on so-called ‘revenge porn’ by placing a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail for sharing intimate images or video online. A practice made sweetened by certain illicit sites that pay money for amateur made material. Even worse, some people use the images to derail a former exes chances at success by releasing the content during critical times when citizens of the city are applying for jobs or local entertainment opportunities.
More and more women, and occasionally men, have had their most private photos and videos shared publicly without their consent, with the intent to traumatize, humiliate or punish them, said Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens), who sponsored the bill.
This law is to protect the people of the five boroughs from being victimized by someone who once was trusted with sensitive media and now looks to ignore better ethics on the web and irrevocably ruin someone’s reputation and violate their right to privacy.
