‘Revenge Porn’ May Soon Be Illegal in New York State - Along With Many Others Across the Nation

The New York senate is following in the footsteps of states including California and New Jersey by voting to pass legislation criminalizing “revenge porn,” the practice of sharing sexually explicit photos or videos online without the individual’s consent.

These postings are typically made by ex-partners or hackers in an attempt to humiliate or harass the individual. Posts often include personal details and links to social media profiles. Some websites also charge a fee to have the materials removed.

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Under the new legislation passed on Wednesday, posting “revenge porn” will be a misdemeanor, with a repeat offense graduating to a felony. The legislation now passes to the New York State Assembly, where similar legislation has already been introduced, Westchester News 12 reports.

Bills criminalizing “revenge porn” have been introduced or are pending in at least 27 states this year. Legislation has been enacted in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“Revenge porn” has been highly controversial. In 2012 Rutgers student Dharun Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in jail for posting a video of his roommate having sex with another man. The roommate, Tyler Clementi, didn’t know he was being filmed via webcam. He committed suicide after Ravi shared the video online.

In recent years, “revenge porn” victims across the country have filed lawsuits against both the websites and the people posting the explicit material.