What is revenge porn?

Revenge porn is the intentional sharing of private sexual content, without the consent of the person in that content. It could be explicit text messages, photos or videos, for example. Revenge porn hasn’t been around forever; it has grown with, and been facilitated by, the internet, smartphones and social media.

The humiliation and harassment that comes with it can cause severe emotional distress. Both adults and minors are at risk, with younger people often unaware of the dangers posed by internet trolls, cyberbullies and vengeful exes. While it is a relatively recent phenomenon, many countries and regions have brought in legislation against revenge porn. That currently includes all but 4 states in America, despite there being no federal law on the matter.

The issue of consent is key here. The person in the photos or videos might well have initially shared the content of their own free will. That’s common between romantic or sexual partners these days. But they almost certainly didn’t agree to the images being shared more widely, which is where it turns into revenge porn. 

Some have claimed that the term revenge porn is a misnomer, because it suggests the victim did something to provoke the abuse. The most common scenario is a female victim, with the perpetrator being an ex-boyfriend, retaliating out of bitterness at how their relationship ended.

But revenge porn is often more about power and intimidation than revenge. We have seen hackers famously obtain intimate photos of celebrities and then leak them on the internet to make a name for themselves. And some offenders simply get a kick out of feeling victims are under their control. They may try to use blackmail for financial gain or to receive more explicit images from the victim. This is known as sextortion.

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