آخرین اقدامات تحقیقاتی و انتظامی

در ترکیب این دو مطالعه از افراد بین سنین 16-97 مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. یافته های آنها را می توان به شرح زیر خلاصه کرد:

• شایعترین "سن در اولین بزهکاری" 18 سال است – اما افراد موارد را از 15 سالگی گزارش کردند.
• جوانان بیشترین عاملین بزهکاری و قربانیان را تشکیل می دهند. بالاترین نرخ برای هر دو بین 15 تا 29 سال بود. این شامل توزیع تصاویر بدون رضایت بود.
• با این حال ، 2٪ از قربانیان در مطالعه 1 به طور متوسط ​​75 سال سن داشتند.

  گروههای دارای معلولیت جسمی باید بخشی از هرگونه تحقیقات جمعیت شناختی در آینده باشند

  گروه آسیب پذیر دیگر کسانی هستند که یا "همیشه" یا "گاهی" به فعالیتهای روزمره ، فعالیتهای حرکات بدن و یا ارتباطات خود نیاز به کمک دارند. نیاز دارد.

  از کسانی که در مطالعه 2 این چالش ها را گزارش کرده اند ، بیش از نیمی از (56٪) گزارش کرده اند که حداقل یک نوع سو abuse استفاده از تصویر صمیمی را تجربه کرده اند.

  • 53٪ گزارش داده اند که کسی تصویر برهنه یا جنسی بدون اجازه آنها
  • 42٪ گزارش داده اند كه چنین تصویری توزیع شده است
  • 41٪ گفته اند كه تهدیدهایی در رابطه با توزیع تصاویر برهنه یا جنسی داشته اند.

  این یافته ها نگران کننده تر از میزان بزه دیدگی در بین افراد بدون چالش است. میزان بروز در بین افراد به چالش کشیده بهره برداری محض است ، مانند سایر جرایم علیه چنین جمعیت های آسیب پذیر مانند کودکان و جوانان ، در معرض خطر پدوفیلی و قاچاق جنسیت.

  3. COVID-19 باعث افزایش پورنو انتقام جویی شده است

  در مارس 2020 ، متخصصان پیش بینی می كنند كه انفجاری در تعداد مبتدیان آنلاین به دلیل بروز همه گیری COVID-19 ایجاد شود.

  "در زمان عدم اطمینان جهانی و نگرانی های سلامتی ، شرکت خواستگاری مدرن VIDA Select دریافت که اکثر کاربران برنامه دوست یابی قصد دارند دوستیابی آنلاین را ادامه دهند – اما تا حد زیادی ترجیح می دهند برای اولین بار یک مسابقه را از طریق چت ویدیویی انجام دهند ، نه اینکه شخصاً. "

  " وب سایت خیانت ازدواج " "اشلی مدیسون همچنین در آغاز شیوع بیماری همه گیر یک جهش در فعالیت مشاهده کرد.

  در ماه مه سال 2020 ، داستان ها شروع به ظهور آنلاین می کنند که گزارش های زیادی از پورنو انتقام را شامل می شود ، از جمله بیشترین تماس های تلفنی با خط انتقام پورنو انتقام ، مستقر در در انگلستان.

  مسئله چقدر شدید است؟

  من برای اطلاع از این امر به چهار سازمان حقوقی و حقوقی محترم مراجعه کردم. من از هر سازمانی پرسیدم که همه گیری چگونه بر کار آنها تأثیر گذاشته است ، از جمله تأثیر قفل کردن در ترتیب کارمندان برای رسیدگی به تماس از طریق قربانیان.

  در زیر خلاصه ای از پاسخ های آنها آمده است.

  خط انتقام پورنو انتقام (انگلستان) – یک پشتیبانی خدمات برای پورن انتقام بزرگسالان و قربانیان سو abuse استفاده از تصویر صمیمی ، ارائه مشاوره ، راهنمایی و کمک در از بین بردن محتوای صمیمی که به صورت غیراخلاقی بصورت آنلاین به اشتراک گذاشته می شود.

  سخنگوی خط تلفن راهنمای انتقام پورنو موارد زیر را گزارش داد:

  با تماس با خط تلفن " از طریق پشت بام "در طی همه گیری. آنها در ماه آوریل 98٪ افزایش را تجربه می کنند ، و موارد جدید هر ماه رشد می کنند. سال 2020 شلوغ ترین سال راهنما بود که تنها پس از چند ماه ثبت شد.

  در سال 2019 ، آمار راهنمای پورنو انتقام با تعداد سالانه با تعداد 1685 مورد کار کرد. فقط در مارس 2020 ، در مجموع 520 مورد داشته است. در ماه آگوست ، این خط تلفنی با 1914 گزارش از پورنو انتقام جویی درگیر شد. خط راهنمای پورنو انتقام جویی انتظار داشت که تعداد پرونده های ماهانه قبل از پایان سال 2020 به 2،700 مورد در ماه افزایش یابد.

  بنابراین ، در پایان سال 2020 ، شماره راهنما تعداد پرونده ها در یک ماه تقریباً دو برابر بیشتر از کل سال 2019 بود. بیشتر قربانیان زن بودند ، بسیاری از آنها برای اولین بار از برنامه ها و وب سایت های همسریابی استفاده می کردند.

  خط راهنما همچنین ترسید که حتی پس از همه گیری همه گیر ، میزان نفخ پورنو انتقام و موارد NCIA "عادی جدید" باشد. :

  "به نظر می رسد این بیشتر یک رفتار طولانی مدت است که اکنون شاهد آن هستیم ، که با قفل کردن ایجاد شده است. این ممکن است نوک کوه یخی بسیار بزرگ باشد. "

  به طور جداگانه ، در ماه سپتامبر سال 2020 ، Helpline پورنوگ انتقام جویا شد که پرونده های جنجالی اکنون 18٪ از کل پرونده های آن را نشان می دهد (از 13٪ قبل از Covid).

  سرانجام ، COVID-19 بر روی ترتیب کارکنان خط راهنما تأثیر گذاشته است. طبق وب سایت:

  "به دلیل نگرانی در مورد شیوع ویروس کرونا ، در حال حاضر خط راهنما فقط یک سرویس ایمیل فعال خواهد کرد ، بنابراین ممکن است بلافاصله به پیام های پست صوتی پاسخ ندهید. لطفاً از طریق ایمیل با ما تماس بگیرید. "

  طرح ابتکار حقوق مدنی سایبر (ایالات متحده آمریکا) – یک سازمان غیردولتی برای" مبارزه با سو ab استفاده های آنلاین که حقوق شهروندی و آزادی های مدنی را تهدید می کند "تاسیس شده است ، CCRI همچنین یک خط کمک بحران برای قربانیان پورن انتقام و سایر موارد اجرا می کند اشکال سو abuseاستفاده آنلاین.

  سخنگوی CCRI شواهد حکایتی در مورد افزایش پورنو انتقام جویی ، سو imageاستفاده صمیمی از تصویر و سایر اشکال سو abuseاستفاده آنلاین را در طی همه گیری COVID-19 گزارش کرد.

  آنها همچنین افزایش قابل توجهی را مشاهده کرده اند تماس با خط کمک بحران CCRI ، ایجاد تأخیر در انتظار برای قربانیانی که به دنبال پشتیبانی و کمک حقوقی هستند.

  Minc Law (ایالات متحده آمریکا) – شرکت حقوقی مدیریت شهرت آنلاین که خدمات و پشتیبانی بسیاری از قربانیان پورن انتقام و سایر اشکال سو abuse استفاده آنلاین را ارائه می دهد.

  موسسه حقوقی Minc "افزایش" در موارد پورنو انتقام جویی در طی همه گیر شدن بیماری و "افزایش قابل توجه" در موارد سكستورتیون ، كه عمدتا مردان جوان را هدف قرار داده است ، مشاهده كرده است.

  آنها همچنین افزایش قابل توجهی را به ثبت رسانده اند.

  سرانجام ، آنها گزارش دادند که COVID-19 بر روی تنظیمات کارکنان چندین شرکت آنلاین برای حذف محتوای آنلاین و مدیریت اعتبار تأثیر منفی گذاشته است ، برخی از آنها مجبور به انجام این کار شده اند بستن.

  4. تأثیرات روانشناختی و عاطفی پورن انتقام

  روانشناسی پورنو انتقام به همان اندازه پیچیده است که هر جنایتی شامل تعامل مستقیم بین قربانیان و مرتکبان می شود – و البته پاسخ ها یا انگیزه های رفتاری منحصر به فرد و مخالف آنها.

  در در بخشهای بعدی ، برخی از جنبه های مهم روانشناختی انتقام گیری جنسی و سو abuseاستفاده صمیمی از تصویر را برجسته می کنم که امیدوارم باعث افزایش آگاهی در مورد موضوع شود و تحقیقات ، طرفداری ، آموزش و اجرای قانون را در یک راستای بهتر قرار دهد.

  گزارش ندادن از حوادث

  یکی از عوامل حیاتی در تحقیق درباره پورن انتقام ، شمارش دقیق تمام حوادث قربانی شدن است.

  البته ، بسیاری از قربانیان بیش از حد خجالت می کشند و یا خجالت نمی کشند حادثه ای را به نیروی انتظامی گزارش دهند. این امر با این واقعیت بدتر می شود که مطالب مجرم اغلب با بازرسان اجرای قانون و به طور بالقوه یک دادگاه مملو از افراد در میان گذاشته می شود.

  در نتیجه ، شرمساری قربانیان دو پیامد مهم دارد:

  1. گزارش نادرست از حوادث ، ایجاد آمارهای نادرست.
  2. اطلاعات و تحقیقات کافی در دسترس دانشگاهیان و گروه های مدافع نیست.

  هیچ کس از میزان کامل حوادث گزارش نشده اطلاع ندارد – اما ما می دانیم که تحقیقات در مورد انتقام گیری از پورنو بسیار دشوار است. [19659005] به عنوان مثال ، مطالعات 1 و 2 ممکن است نمونه های کافی خوبی را برای برون یابی از موارد سو pornاستفاده از پورن انتقام و تصویر صمیمی از زنان و مردان ، گروه های سنی و گرایش جنسی فراهم کند. اما حتی این مطالعات اذعان می کنند که روش های نمونه گیری آنها دارای کاستی هایی است که نتایج آنها را حدس می زند.

  پس چرا جنسیت ، سن و جهت گیری جنسی قربانیان – و عاملان آن مهم هستند؟

  تحقیقات دقیق جمعیتی برای تأثیرگذار بودن بسیار مهم است.

  به نوبه خود ، شناسایی دقیق قربانیان و مرتکبان برای توانایی اجرای قانون برای مقابله با پورنو انتقام و درک بهتر موضوع بسیار مهم است.

  در حالی که قوانینی علیه این روش ، بسیاری از طرفداران و گروه های پشتیبانی معتقدند که سازمان های اجرای قانون برای مقابله با تجاوز جنسی و سو abuse استفاده صمیمانه از تصویر ، مجهز نیستند. در حقیقت ، این ممکن است یکی از بزرگترین موانع باشد.

  پاسخ پویاتر توسط سیستم عدالت کیفری برای تحقیق و پیگرد قانونی پورنو انتقام بسیار مهم است. ما باید به جایی برسیم که پاسخ برابر با حوادث سو abuse استفاده جنسی و تجاوز جنسی برابر باشد.

  5. Supporting and Engaging Law Enforcement

  In January 2020, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative released the results and findings of a panel discussion on Criminal Justice Strategies for Combating Nonconsensual Pornography, Sextortion, Doxing, and Swatting.

  It included 6 authors and 12 participants—all distinguished in criminal justice and representing esteemed online rights advocacy groups, law centers, and government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Justice, L.A. Superior Court, and Georgetown Law.

  The aim was to look at the psychological impact of revenge porn and intimate image abuse (in addition to cyberbullying, doxing, and swatting) and create a more human portrait of both perpetrators and victims.
  Here’s just a bullet list of what they report (it includes revenge porn or intimate image abuse as part of “Technology-Facilitated Abuse, or TFA”):

  • “TFA can have severe and long-lasting impacts on victims that extend far beyo nd the digital realm—including symptoms of serious psychological distress, including feelings of isolation, guilt, anger, and worthlessness.”
  • “Victims of sextortion and nonconsensual pornography suffer from depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and engage in self-harm at alarmingly high rates.”
  • “A 2015 Federal Bureau of Investigation analysis of 43 sextortion cases found that in 28 percent of those cases the victim either attempted or died by suicide.”
  • “TFA can negatively affect victims’ social relationships and disrupt their educational and professional pursuits.”
  • “In one survey of sextortion victims, almost half reported having lost a relationship with a friend, family member, or partner.”

  Work in this area is still in its early stages.

  The more that research, education, and advocacy groups can demonstrate the emotional, social, professional, and physiological (somatic) effects of revenge porn, the more law enforcement will treat it as a criminal activity.

  The “Streisand Effect” And Unintended Consequences

  The Streisand Effect refers to the unexpected outcome of a court case taken by the famous singer and actress Barbra Streisand.

  In 2003, Streisand sued a photographer for publishing an image of her California mansion on the internet as part of a study documenting the California coastline’s erosion. Only four people had viewed the picture of Streisand’s home before it was brought to her attention.

  However, Streisand’s case backfired spectacularly. For one, she lost. Also, a month after the singer’s lawyers filed suit, nearly 500,000 people had viewed the image. In the years since, millions have seen photos of her mansion online.

  “And thus, “The Streisand Effect” was born. By taking legal action to protect her privacy, Streisand inadvertently brought unparalleled attention to the very image she was trying to suppress. Had she never filed the lawsuit, the image may still only have four views.

  The Streisand Effect is used as a cautionary tale for anyone who wishes to pursue legal actions related to breaches of privacy or embarrassing media.

  6. Law-Enforcement Efforts Against Revenge Porn and Intimate Image Abuse

  Victim embarrassment is one of the biggest issues preventing accurate reporting on revenge porn and prosecuting more cases.

  Many courts and governments require a victim to publicly take a stand and face questions – often in the presence of their perpetrator and journalists.

  Some jurisdictions have taken steps to address the issue. For example, California has a Jane/John Doe law that says:

  “…. The court, at the request of the alleged victim, may order the identity of the alleged victim in all records and during all proceedings to be either Jane Doe or John Doe, if the court finds that such an order is reasonably necessary to protect the privacy of the person and will not unduly prejudice the prosecution or the defense.”

  However, other factors may be holding law enforcement and courts from pursuing and prosecuting revenge porn cases.

  According to experts, these include:

  • Criminal justice practitioners might not prioritize cases out of ignorance of the circumstances or the full scope of emotional and psychological harm it inflicts on victims.
  • Criminal justice officials might be unsure of the precise language or laws addressing intimate image abuse and ‘whether there are available resources’ to pursue a case – legal and otherwise.
  • Criminal an d civil cases are often “extremely challenging to investigate and adjudicate because of the anonymity provided by most digital platforms, the difficulty of gathering digital evidence, and a legal landscape that has not kept pace with recent technological advancements.”
  • Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit, “have adopted their own policies for identifying and responding to harmful digital behaviors,” perhaps preempting criminal justice system practices and procedures.

  These are just a few issues making it difficult for law enforcement to stem the tide of revenge porn and intimate image abuse.

  To promote stronger legal frameworks to tackle revenge porn, experts have outlined three areas that need greater focus:

  1. Promoting greater awareness of all realms of intimate image abuse
  2. Improving criminal justice practices and policies for addressing intimate image abuse
  3. Mitigating harm to IIA victims and empowering their response to victimization.

  Within this framework, the following actions would have the greatest impact in improving legal processes around revenge porn and encouraging victims to come forward:

  • Updated statutes that directly address IIA and its associated harms and signal the seriousness of the offense, along with clear, strict sentencing guidelines.
  • Staff members trained to identify, gather, and process digital evidence – and sufficient resources for them to do so.
  • An in-depth knowledge base focused on the technological aspect of revenge porn and the vulnerability of victims.
  • Reducing the legal barriers that prevent many victims from coming forward due to embarrassment.
  • Criminal and civil guides to help victims make decisions about which course of action is right for them.
  • A well-defined taxonomy to identify specific types of perpetrators (including partners, hackers, and sextortionists), their motives and psychology, and the distinct differences among them.
  • Funding for more structured, targeted research to help criminal justice practitioners humanize groups affected by revenge porn.

  Many advocacy organizations and individual victims believe that the current law enforcement system prevents a full-scale attack on revenge porn and intimate image abuse.

  While there are laws in place, the various stakeholders involved are often misaligned, causing friction and lack of progress.

  While having better and more strict laws in place would make a huge difference, investigative and prosecutorial procedures, awareness, staffing, and training must be fully deployed to enable the criminal justice system to do its job.

  I hope my article and the sources I’ve relied on put revenge porn research, advocacy, education, and law enforcement in “alignment.”

  Laws Against Revenge Porn

  The table below is a brief outline of the respective laws relating to revenge porn and intimate image abuse in four English-speaking countries.

  U.S.A
  United Kingdom
  Australia
  Canada

  7. What to Do if a Nude Image is Shared against Your Consent

  Whether you’re a victim of revenge porn or your nude image has been hacked and shared online, all respected advocacy and legal groups offer similar advice about your very first step:

  Don’t panic—take a deep breath. Don’t blame yourself—it’s not your fault. And remember—you are not alone.

  After you’ve calmed yourself, take the following steps:

  • Gather all the evidence you can.
  • Take steps to remove the image from the internet.
  • Decide whether to pursue criminal or civil proceedings against the perpetrator.

  1. Documenting the Incident

  The most crucial action is to document the revenge porn or intimate image abuse before the perpetrator has a chance to delete it. Documentation will be essential if you decide to “pursue legal relief.”

  Preserve a copy of the content.

  You can take a screenshot and save it to your device, a flash drive, cloud account, or print the image.

  Preserve evidence of any communication or conversations with the perpetrator also.

  Report the post.

  Social media sites like Facebook and YouTube have strict policies for adult content on their sites. Because adult content violates their Terms of Use, you can flag or report the content to get it removed. Facebook and YouTube remove adult content quickly without much (or any) interaction from the person who flags the content.

  Back-track images to find the source.

  It is not always immediately evident who posted nonconsensual pornography. You may have to do a little bit of research to identify an anonymous poster. Of course, an online defamation professional can help with this process, but there are some things you can do on your own. [Also see below for online removal resources.]

  One of the simplest ways to find out the source of an image is by using Google Reverse Image Search. On your computer (or phone), simply right-click on the intimate or explicit image and select “copy image.” Then, go to Google Images and click “search by image.”

  Paste the image you just copied into the search bar. The search results will point you toward all sites that have the image.

  If you find the image only once, you can right-click the image and select “copy image address” to find the exact URL where the image is hosted.

  Find out who hosts the website or server where the image was found.

  Using the website www.whoishostingthis.com or domaintools.com, you can look up the hosting provider for the website where the image was found. Enter the domain name where you found the intimate or private sexual image, and each site will provide you with information about the host.

  2. Removing the Image

  You have three options to remove your nonconsensual nude image:

  • Do it yourself, by visiting Online Removal Guides (ORGs) on the internet.
  • Contracting an Online Reputation Management (ORM) company.
  • Hire a content removal professional (CRP), including legal firms and online reputation management companies.

  You can contact social platforms, search engines, or browsers directly to begin the process of removal, but I would recommend the ORG or CRP route.

  ORMs have their own reputation for vague, perhaps unfixed service rates, plus they’re more targeted at repairing reputations, many times at the corporate level.

  The U.S.-based Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) provides clear, comprehensive steps for removing nonconsensual images from the following—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft (Bing), and Snapchat.

  There are many other ORGs available online – a simple search of “Online Removal Guides” will bring up plenty. However, like many ORMs, they’re not all dedicated to just revenge porn and NCIA digital-image removal.

  If you’ve preserved all the relevant documentation but you’re not quite ready to tackle the removal process alone, visit one of the international helplines below for assistance.

  3. Choose Whether to Pursue Criminal or Civil Charges

  Criminal cases are more difficult to pursue—unless the shared digital image is of a minor.

  There’s also the prospect of the Streisand effect, even if you settle on pursuing a civil case.

  Law enforcement and local district attorneys prosecute adult criminal cases. That means you don’t necessarily need a lawyer—but hiring one may make the process more manageable and immediate. Simultaneously, as the previous section suggested, the process for pursuing criminal cases in revenge porn and intimate image abuse is incredibly slow.

  Civil cases, however, do require retaining a lawyer.

  You can pursue civil cases in any state. Even if revenge porn laws don’t allow civil charges, “other civil claims can be made against posters of nonconsensual pornography,” including intentional infliction of emotional distress and privacy torts (false light, intrusion invasion of privacy, and misappropriation).

  According to Minc Law, a law firm specializing in online reputation management, civil suits are a viable way to remove unwanted images and receive compensation (emotional or monetary) for the victimization.

  However, Minc Law firm settles about 90% of cases using DMCA takedown notices—that is, by establishing copyright over the webcam photo (after all, whose webcam took the photo?). Legal firms will also seek an injunction against the appearance of a nonconsensual image on a platform by invoking cease-and-desist or invasion-of-privacy orders.

  The spokesperson said the removal process takes about five days.

  Still, don’t hold back from getting reparation for your victimization suffering. The Minc Law spokesperson said it’s more likely that a civil case will result in a pre-trial settlement.

  When law enforcement and courts become full partners in the fight against revenge porn – and the process doesn’t deter victims from reporting incidents – the prospect of paying civil suit compensation may be an even greater deterrent to perpetrators.

  Right now, it’s a gamble and you’ll need to decide what action(s) make sense for you.

  8. Sextortion: What to Do if You’re a Victim, and How to Avoid It in the First Place

  Online removal may or may not apply here—but certainly, the various support helplines can assist you.

  Here are the key steps you should take if you’re a sextortion victim:

  1. Don’t blame yourself.

  Once again, you’re the victim of a crime. Don’t allow any embarrassment to stop you from pursuing justice or cave into the demands of the extortionist.

  2. Cease communication and document the offense.

  Don’t communicate with your perpetrator any further.

  Document your experience by taking a screenshot of the perpetrator.

  If you can record any communication from the perpetrator, do that. But don’t respond to the threat.

  Suspend your social media accounts (but don’t delete them) and follow the relevant processes to report the matter to Skype, YouTube, etc. Get any video blocked and taken down, and set up an alert in case it resurfaces.

  Deactivating your account temporarily rather than shutting it down means your data is preserved and will help police collect evidence. You can also reactivate the account at any time, so your online memories are not lost forever. Also, keep an eye on all the accounts linked to your social media in case the criminals try to contact you via one of those.

  Make a note of all details provided by the offenders, for example:

  • The Skype name (particularly the Skype ID)
  • The Facebook URL
  • The Western Union or MoneyGram Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN)
  • Any photos/videos that were sent, etc.

  Be aware that the scammer’s Skype name is different from their Skype ID, and it’s the ID details that police will need. To get that, right-click on their profile, select ‘View Profile’ and then look for the name shown in blue rather than the one above it in black. It’ll be next to the word ’Skype’ and will have no spaces in it.

  DO NOT DELETE ANY CORRESPONDENCE.

  4. Don’t pay anything.

  Regardless of the threat to share any material among family, friends, or co-workers, DO NOT PAY ANYTHING OR GIVE INTO ANY DEMANDS, INCLUDING DEMANDS FOR OTHER INTIMATE PHOTOS.

  Many victims who have paid have continued to get more demands for higher amounts of money. In some cases, even when the demands have been met, the offenders will still post the explicit videos.

  If you have already paid, check if the money has been collected. If possible, make a note of where it was collected from. If it hasn’t, cancel the payment—and the sooner you do that, the better.

  5. Seek help and support.

  Contact your local police or authority, or call a helpline or legal firm for advice.

  How to Protect Yourself Against Revenge Porn and Sextortion

  The best defense against them is awareness and prevention.

  Again, the world of revenge porn and intimate image abuse is in its comparative infancy. The world of online dating the new age of physical relationships, including actual intimacy.

  To protect yourself from hacker-based intimate image abuse and sextortion scams, the FBI provides some guidance for handling some of your routine computer tasks:

  • Don’t open emails or attachments from unknown sources or individuals.
  • Don’t communicate with unsolicited email—even if you believe it’s legitimate. If you want to reply to an email, visit the website in the email address directly and look for a contact form.
  • Don’t provide personal information—including your whereabouts, even vacation planning—through email.
  • Be aware that many emails requesting your personal information appear to be legitimate.
  • Don’t store sensitive or embarrassing photos in the cloud or on your mobile devices. If you need to retain them, move them to a USB flash drive.
  • Always use strong passwords (long strings of letters, numbers, or symbols), and always create a different password for each online or social-media account you use. Think of purchasing a password management tool (LogMe Once, Zoho Vault (for legal teams), Dashlane, Keeper, LastPass, RoboForm, Boss, Sticky Password, and Bitwarden (a free, open-source password manager) to help you remember passwords.
    Turn off your computer, webcam, and microphone when you’re not using them.
  • Keep your webcam covered when not in use—cardstock cut to width and length is fine—to prevent reverse webcam spying.

  Two Simple Steps You to Guard Your Online Privacy and Anonymity

  Here are two simple ways to thwart hackers trying to attack you in various different ways.

  Encrypt Your Email

  A staggering 91% of cybercrime starts with email. This usually starts with unsolicited emails posing as official correspondence from legitimate institutions, luring recipients into providing sensitive personal or financial information.

  Several subscriber-based encrypted email services are available (and a couple of open-source ones for free). These are your best-bets for security, and they’ll give explicit instructions for maintaining your closest email contacts. The services include:

  Use a VPN to Stay Secure, Hidden, and Anonymous online

  A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet data transmission and protects your anonymity, privacy, website browsing, and the integrity of your laptop or device.

  VPNs connect you to remote servers throughout the world—each with a different IP address. When you subscribe to the VPN service, you can choose any of these IP addresses to legally mask the IP address assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

  The new remote IP address cannot be associated with your identity or your location. It’s even invisible to your ISP—which knows you’re logged on to the internet but only to an unidentifiable VPN server.

  The top VPNs offer malware and spyware blockers to prevent malicious viruses from wreaking havoc on your operating system and hacker-created software from exposing you to dox attacks or identity theft.

  Check out our complete guide to VPNs for more in depth information about different VPNs providers.

  The Bottom Line

  The revenge porn phenomenon is no less acute, severe, or psychologically devastating and emotionally ruinous than rape, pedophilia, and sex-slave trafficking.

  With that in mind, here some final thoughts on the subject.

  • Victims: it’s not your fault, and you’re not alone. You have access to outside and personal resources—you should try using them.
  • Advocacy and Education Groups: you’ve not only “helped” victims, but you’ve also set the foundation for what will eventually become the Tao of ridding online revenge porn and IIA from the internet.
  • Research Community: start identifying specific groups with high rates of victims or perpetrators, so you can support advocational, educational, and law-enforcement efforts in “individualizing”—putting a human face—on the revenge porn and IIA phenomenon.
  • Criminal Justice: You’ve finally addressed the issue of sexual abuse and rape. revenge porn and IIA are the digital equivalents. When you’ve arrived at that recognition and pursuit, then let’s all start turning to pedophilia and sex-slave trafficking.