Revenge porn case highlights online dangers
Would you trust your lover with your personal data and pictures? A collection of women who did and then got burned are now suing web hosting giant GoDaddy.
The women are victims of so-called 'revenge porn' - intimate pictures and videos taken of them by lovers, which are then posted without their consent after a breakup. The Texan women found their images on a revenge porn site hosted by GoDaddy. The web hosting service is now lead defendant in a civil suit.
Intel-owned security firm McAfee says that it isn't uncommon for poorly-managed personal pictures and data to come back and bite you after a breakup.
The survey found that 13% of adults have had their personal content leaked to others without their permission - and a lot of these leaks seem to be down to exes. One in ten ex-lovers have threatened to expose intimate material about a former partner online, and 60% go through with it, according to a survey conducted by the firm last month.
McAfee, which interviewed over 1100 US adults aged 18-54, found that various actions caused people to release data about their exes online. 45% did it after finding out that their ex-partner had lied to them. 41% did it because they had been cheated on. 27% were compelled to do it simply because an ex broke up with them, and another 14% went maverick online and posted personal information about an ex who had called off a wedding. Naturally, these causes often overlap (a person cheating on a partner will usually lie about it, after all).
Not all of these breaches have to do with photos. Handing over passwords and other intimate content to lovers can also leave you vulnerable to attack should things go sour.
If you are betrayed by an ex, there are options. About 15% of people who had their personal information used against them by an ex online took legal action to get their information back, or to have it removed from the public eye.
Of course, the safest bet is not to let anyone have it in the first place - no matter how much you trust someone. Even if they turn out to be entirely honourable, mistakes can happen. USB drives can be lost. Email can be accidentally sent to the wrong people. Why risk it?
Have you sent intimate pictures to your girlfriend or boyfriend? Did it end badly? Tell us your story.
Danny Bradbury, MSN Tech & Gadgets
Comments
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Posted by: Aunt Nan | Feb 8, 2013 7:55:40 AM
Anyone who makes "intimate" pics or video in this day and age is asking for trouble. Dumb dumb dumb dumb.
Posted by: Jess | Feb 8, 2013 8:48:46 AM
You mean people still haven't learned?? Seriously, wake up! Bad things don't only happen to other people. They also happen to dumb or naive people.
Posted by: Ryan | Feb 8, 2013 9:40:56 AM
Immaturity plays a huge role in this. I have intimate pics on my phone sent to me by women and I don't feel the need to show them off or use them for any kind of leverage. People need to grow the %$#& up.
Posted by: Nikki | Feb 8, 2013 10:17:59 AM
I agree with Ryan, it all comes down to immaturity. A responsible adult wouldn't do such a thing, regardless of their change of feelings towards their s/o. Realistically, what does it accomplish in the end? Nothing. When it comes to porn, if you've seen one naked person, you've seen them all. How many people are actually going to take the time to remember the name or biased story of someone who has had their photos leaked? Maybe it will be remembered for a day, until something else pops up and distracts whoever looked at the photos. In my opinion, if someone is going to do something like this after a breakup, they shouldn't even be in a relationship in the first place.
Posted by: Susan | Feb 8, 2013 10:30:44 AM
Back in the "olden days" mid 1970"s my boyfriend and I took naked photos of each other with a Polaroid camera ! We would have been arrested if we took film into Black's to be processed not to mention being horribly embarassed. Our relationship ended after 2 years sadly but it never even occurred to me that he would share the photos with anyone else because he was and is a decent honourable man.
I'm grateful that my "impulsive " youth predated the Internet and all the other social media. One click of the mouse in a moment of anger or hurt and you can do lasting damage to someone you professed once to love.
Posted by: Gerry | Feb 8, 2013 11:02:49 AM
Like Ryan says, it a very immature thing to do, and very classless. i also have pics that were sent to me, and i would never consider sharing them with anyone. They were given to me in trust and i will never betray that trust, no matter how the relationship ends. Those posting pics of exes have absolutely no class.
Posted by: ms.mae | Feb 8, 2013 11:37:58 AM
I have an ex, who posted intimate / explicit emails I wrote which showed the email addresses in the sender line as well as the signature line (from my work email). Just plain stupid, on my part which is such a shame as I love to write erotica but won't ever do that again!
However, it went even further, this Ex was crazy and when I changed my cell phone # they had enough info on me to call my wireless provider to get my new number! we were together for 4 years!
So now I have special "Personal Identification Numbers" or PIN's on all my accounts.
She also hacked into my facebook account (even with FULL privacy settings), email accounts to the point where I had to delete all of them and start new ones.
This went on for 2 years and I learned no mater how much you think you know someone, you never really do!
Remember, it isn't just the internet and photo's, it's everything from passwords to credit card numbers.
Posted by: Yeah | Feb 8, 2013 12:34:18 PM
Why is it only the teachers want to comment and give their two cents? What does it matter when they share your pictures unless you are a dog face fugly with issues of self-image. Let the world see your nakedness, you want to see me? .)(. Some cleavage. OK they sent your pictures online why stop there and let them have their fun. Do the same, immaturity is only when someone disapproves and needs something to say about it. One life people, no take backs, no reverse... go with the flow and enjoy it!
Posted by: Requin | Feb 8, 2013 12:53:45 PM
On a related topic:
Is it just me (because it often seems to be) or is Facebook just a time-bomb waiting to explode with regards to 'leakage' of personal data?. Not least by the company itself, which I do not trust one bit.
Posted by: Funloving Guy | Feb 8, 2013 12:56:23 PM
NOBODY wants to see my naked pics. My God if any pics of me in my birthday suit were published all it would do is cause mass nausea and vomiting.
Posted by: Gretchen | Feb 8, 2013 5:15:13 PM
Just don't do stupid things like that. Keep your penis in your pants, it's already there, don't take it out!
Posted by: jojo | Feb 8, 2013 5:49:09 PM
lol serves em all right!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Rob | Feb 8, 2013 5:57:22 PM
Though what happened to the victims is bad, it is rediculous to me that they are suing the web hosting company for it. Hold the exes responsible and go after them instead. If a crazy person stabs someone else with a kitchen knife, is the company that made the knife responsible? How long before websites stop letting people comment on articles because they might be held at fault if someone says something hateful or stupid? This game of lets find someone to blame because they're easy to go after infuriates me.
Posted by: Bill | Feb 8, 2013 7:41:38 PM
When young my ex and I took intimate pictures of each other, using a polaroid back then. It was a lark and experiment. The marriage ended with a lot of rancor, but as we were both more mature by then neither of us considered using the pictures against each other, in fact we just handed the pictures back to each other. Those that use intimate pictures and information should be charged for their immaturity in using them, but you certainly can't charge a hosting company for hosting the website. I agree with Rob, that if we go this route eventually none of us will even be allowed to comment on news sites for fear of what might be said. I feel sorry for those that are embarrassed by the display, but don't blame the company sue the individual who did it to you, ex or otherwise.
Posted by: RJK | Feb 8, 2013 10:04:00 PM
What I can't understand is how the hosting provider is responsible for something posted by a website.
Maybe they can make a case for suing the revenge porn site if the site specifically encourages porn that is unauthorized. To hold the hosting service provider responsible is way too far - should they monitor and censor your sites content? Think about how scary that is - we make them Big Brother for all content on all sites. Not just GoDaddy, but all hosting providers. Sad, hope they fight and don't settle.
The naive porn 'models' share in blame, but that doesn't mean posting it was authorized. But they lost my sympathy when they sue anyone/anything. They share in the fault here Sorry I hope you get nothing from anyone.
Posted by: Keith | Apr 20, 2013 4:50:09 PM
I would like to give my story. I am almost 29 and most likely about to lost my lover. After proposal to me to marry him, but I can't see another way then i seek spell powers to make him see how much i love him. I saw comments on this spell lady priestessifaa@yahoo.com she was now the one that cast the spell for me and my marriage date is certain now and sure. Am so happy.