FTC Revenge Porn

January 2017

FTC’s Complaint Against Myex.com is a Win Against Nonconsensual Disclosures of Intimate Images

NNEDV applauds the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Nevada for filing a complaint against a notorious website Myex.com to help protect survivors of nonconsensual disclosures of intimate images, what is commonly referred to as “Revenge Porn.”[1] Myex.com, like many similar websites, is dedicated to the deeply damaging practice of soliciting intimate images and providing a space and impunity for individuals to post intimate images without consent. Many of these sites fully recognize the impact of the distribution of these images and therefore have monetized the suffering of those depicted in the images by charging hundreds or thousands of dollars to remove the images from their website. Websites that employ these tactics enhance the ability of abusive individuals to terrorize their victims by soliciting and widely disseminating nonconsensual images and then blackmailing individuals that are desperately seeking to get the images removed from the website. While there are still many more sites that engage in these deplorable practices, the FTC and Nevada have taken a step to combat an egregious example and in so doing have also provided notice to others about the consequences of running these enterprises. In the current case, one executive of the company that runs myex.com has already agreed to a fine and to comply with a ban on posting intimate images. The website itself is still online, but the complaint is still pending and could result in large fines for the company and other members of the executive team. We often hear about the many ways in which individuals are terrorized on the web, but NNEDV is encouraged by the steps taken by the FTC and Nevada and hope that other states will follow their lead in working to combat the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images.

For more information about responding to nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images, check out our survivor toolkit and/or advocate toolkit.

[1] NNEDV and many advocates are against the term “revenge porn” because we believe it inaccurately describes the practice of nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images. While some individuals make nonconsensual disclosures for revenge, many perpetrators have a mix of motivations that may or may not include revenge. Furthermore, by calling these images “porn” it inappropriately suggests that those depicted are a part of a pornography industry, when in fact the disclosure of these images is a crime in most states. Nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images more accurately describes the panoply of motivations and provides a better description of these images.

Safety Check

If you think your activities (online and offline) are being monitored, you are probably right. People who are abusive often want to know their victim’s every move and interaction. If this is something you’re experiencing, it’s important to think through how they might be tracking your online activity. These tips can help you think through how to access information online more safely:

• Computers, mobile devices, and online accounts store a lot of private information about what you view online – the websites you visit (like this one), the things you search for, the emails and instant messages you send, the online videos you watch, the things you post on social media, the online phone or IP-TTY calls you make, your online banking and purchasing, and many others. 

• If your mobile device or computer are easily accessible to the abuser, be careful how you use it. You may want to keep using those devices for activities that won’t trigger violence – like looking up the weather – and find safe devices (like a public computer at the library) to look up information about how to get help.

• If the person who is abusive has access to your online accounts (social media, email, phone bill, etc), or has had access to them in the past, it is often helpful to update the usernames and passwords for those accounts from a safer device.

• You can also set up a new email address that they aren’t aware of, and connect your online accounts to it (rather than the old email address they know). It can be helpful to make the new address something that is more anonymous, instead of using your actual name or a handle you are already known by.

• Keep in mind, if you think you are being monitored, it might be dangerous to suddenly stop your online activity or stop them from accessing your accounts. You may want to keep using those devices or accounts for activities that won’t trigger violence – and find safer devices (like a public computer at the library) and accounts to look up information about how to get help, or to communicate with people privately.

• Email, instant messaging and text messaging with domestic violence agencies leaves a detailed digital trail of your communication, and can increase the risk that your abuser will know not only that you communicated, but the details of what you communicated. When possible, it’s best to call a hotline. If you use email, instant messaging, or text messaging, try to do so on a device and account that the abuser doesn’t know about or have access to, and remember to erase any messages you don’t want the abusive partner to see.

Check out NNEDV’s Technology Safety & Privacy Toolkit for Survivors for more important information.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K069 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

So, You Wanna Build an App? App Security

This post is part of the “So You Wanna Build an App” series. The other posts include: “What to Consider Before Developing an App,” “Know Your Audience,” and “Safety First.” This series is based on lessons we learned when developing the NNEDV Tech Safety App, and in reviewing dozens of apps created for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Our reviews can be found in the App Safety Center.

 In the “Safety First” post, we talked about how to minimize risks for users when you build the app. Another concern that app developers must be aware of is security—both security of the app itself and security of the data that the app collects from users.

Minimize User Data & Secure What You Store

User data can include anything from asking users to create an account with a username and password to asking users to upload and store evidence of abuse. The first step to data security is to only collect the information needed in order to provide the service. Don’t ask for data you don’t need. For example, some apps require users to create an account when there is no obvious need for an account. Other apps require access to information on the device, such as the user’s contact list and calendar, even when that information has no relevance to the functionality of the app.

Also remember that some types of data are more sensitive than others. Sensitive data includes personally identifying information like name, birthdate, location, health/mental health information, and documentation of abuse. The exposure of sensitive data can have dangerous consequences for the survivor if it’s discovered by the abuser. For this reason, securing sensitive data from unintentional disclosure is crucial.

Develop your app in a way that doesn’t require users to share personal information, or that offers users multiple ways they can opt into or out of sharing personal information. For example, some safety apps allow users to contact someone through the app. Develop the app in a way that lets the user manually type in the contact information, rather than requiring that the app be connected to their contact list. Also remember - if your app is designed so that it can inform 2 or 3 contacts when the survivor needs help, the app does not need access to the entire address book. This is also helpful, because some users may want to input a safety contact, such as their domestic violence advocate or private attorney, who isn’t in their contact list.

App Security

For apps that collect no or minimal data from their users, the security issues are more about the app itself. Some apps are built to function fully on the device, where all the content is accessible via the downloaded app. Other apps require users to retrieve information online. Depending on how the online content is hosted, if someone was covertly watching the internet traffic, they might be able to find out the names of the websites and other content that’s being accessed. Think about where your online content is hosted and how that information is retrieved. As an example, in order to protect survivors, all of the videos on our Tech Safety App are hosted on a secure server, and the files are named in a way that obscures what they are in case someone is covertly watching the internet traffic.

Have a Security Framework and Policy

Anytime you ask users to share personal information with you, you need to know (and let them know) how you’ll keep that data secure. The security framework should encompass every level of engagement – from the time they share their information (account creation, uploading/downloading content) to when you store that information (on secure and encrypted servers) to how (and how often) you destroy content. Your security policy should be clear, and posted where users can easily review. It should also be very clear about when and how you might share their information with third parties such as law enforcement or courts.

Educate Users on Security

If your app encourages people to use third-party cloud storage like Dropbox to store personal information gathered via your app, provide tips and education on good security practices. Where appropriate, teach users to use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. The better they understand the risks, and how to minimize those risks, the better they can navigate them and develop stronger safety strategies.

Thanks for reading this blog series! If you’re still curious for more, you can find great information on our website:

·       Technology Safety and Privacy: A Toolkit for Survivors

·       Agency’s Use of Technology: Best Practices & Policies

·       App Safety Center

Speaking of apps – check out NNEDV’s Tech Safety App! DC-based company 3Advance developed the CMS infrastructure and created the multi-platform mobile apps to bring to life the NNEDV Tech Safety App. If you’re an app developer or a victim service provider working with an app developer, be sure to check out our Considerations for App Developers resource!