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Thank you Facebook, for stepping up and protecting the victims of revenge porn.

 

Facebook is adding tools to make it easier for users to report so-called “revenge porn” and to automatically prevent the images from being shared again once they have been banned.

“Revenge porn” refers to the sharing of sexually explicit images on the internet, without the consent of the people depicted in the pictures, in order to extort or humiliate them.

Facebook has been sued in the United States and elsewhere by people who said it should have done more to prevent the practice. The company in 2015 made clear that images “shared in revenge” were forbidden, and users have long had the ability to report posts as violating the terms of service.

Beginning on Wednesday, users of the world’s largest social network should see an option to report a picture as inappropriate specifically because it is a “nude photo of me,” Facebook said in a statement.

revenge porn on facebook
"Revenge porn" refers to the sharing of sexually explicit images on the internet, without the consent of the people depicted in the pictures, in order to extort or humiliate them. (Image: iStock)
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The company also said it was launching an automated process to prevent the repeat sharing of banned images, meaning that photo-matching software will keep the pictures off the core Facebook network as well as off its Instagram and Messenger services.

Users who share "revenge porn" may see their accounts disabled, the company said.

Do you think large companies like Facebook have a responsibility for the actions of others on their platforms?