The art of “revenge porn” may soon be outlawed in Washington and Oregon.
“Revenge porn” is when someone posts “intimate images” on the Internet of someone without their consent. Northwest Public Radio reports that the Washington Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a law to criminalize the act, while the Oregon Senate did so in February.
Both bills still have to go through each state’s respective House. California, Idaho, Utah, and about 14 other states enacted similar laws in the past two years.
California’s law was used earlier this month when a San Diego man was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he ran a website that collected explicit images and then forced victims to pay $350 to have the photos removed.
The Washington Post notes the recent push from lawmakers to ban “revenge porn.” It’s a complicated area, particularly with the Communications Decency Act and First Amendment rights.
