The fight against revenge porn has been taken up a notch by Facebook in its bid to curb cyber abuse across the globe.
Facebook started a pilot program to enable users to upload their intimate pictures before they ever hit the internet and be seen by others, to prevent those images from ever being shared and/or used for blackmail.
They have further expanded the pilot program, and early trials first began late last year in Australia. It is currently on trial in Canada, UK, and the US.
There is an existing system created by Facebook for reporting and removing those images, but instead of reporting already shared intimate images, this pilot program acts as a preventive measure to curb these non-consensual uploads.
Across the four regions where the trials have begun, Facebook is also entering partnerships with some organizations in these regions to make it less stressful for users to report these images. They include Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) and The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) both in the US, YWCA Canada, the UK Revenge Porn Helpline and the Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Facebook users worried about intimate images being shared on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger can contact their relevant local organizations and submit a form. A one-time-use link will be given to them to upload these images.
Facebook’s Global Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, in a post on Facebook said, “This is one step to help people who fear an intimate image will be shared without their consent… he added that “It’s demeaning and devastating when someone’s intimate images are shared without their permission, and we want to do everything we can to help victims of this abuse.”
Image Credit:The Verge
