Australia now has more states and territories with specific revenge porn laws than those without. But they may not be the most effective way to tackle the problem.
Gina Martin is fighting to change the law on upskirting.
@beaniegigi/Instagram
Image-based abuse, more commonly known as ‘revenge porn’, affects many Australians from across diverse communities and in different types of relationships.
On Q&A, panellist Faustina Agolley questioned whether there were laws protecting against revenge porn in Australia. As it turns out, it all depends on where you live.
Traditional policy responses are struggling to keep pace with new threats posed by new technologies.
shutterstock
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield told Q&A that the Children’s eSafety Commissioner has investigated 11,000 cases of cyberbullying and can fine social media firms $17,000 a day. Is that true?
No-one ever told a victim of identity fraud that they should never have stored their money electronically in the first place.
shutterstock
Telling girls and young women to ‘be careful what images you share’ contributes to the shaming and humiliation of victims by placing the responsibility back onto them for their own humiliation.
Snapchat is a powerful tool for teens to communicate and experiment.
Maurizio Pesce/Flickr
The ephemeral social media platform Snapchat is a hit with young people. And while it can lead to risky behaviour, it can also encourage creative experimentation and socialisation.
Any legislative changes to combat revenge porn would need to redress the blame so often levelled at victims.
Flickr
Susan Hopkins, University of Southern Queensland and Jenny Ostini, University of Southern Queensland
In the social media age, perpetrators can devastate their partner or ex-partner psychologically, socially and financially, while remaining cloaked in anonymity from cyberspace.
Digital harassment is not only an issue affecting children and teenagers.
shutterstock
Women and men are just as likely to report experiencing any form of digital harassment and abuse. However, the nature and impacts of these online harms differ significantly by gender and age.
Labor’s Terri Butler is co-sponsoring a bill to make acts of ‘revenge porn’ a federal crime.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The internet, smartphones and social media mean that extensive sharing of private images without consent is far easier than in the past. And the severity of the harm victims suffer is far greater.
Rapper 50 Cent at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in May.
L.E. Baskow
Cyberhate would deny women their full democratic rights as citizens, yet this is trivialised and dismissed – just as sexual violence, discrimination and workplace harassment have been for decades.
Revenge porn is a serious breach of privacy, but social media sites and the law are starting to crack down.
Bill Ellis/Flickr