According to several media reports, Facebook is attempting a new strategy to fight revenge porn and it is quite unorthodox indeed.
In what seems like a counter intuitive move in Australia, Facebook wants users to upload nude pics of themselves in a strategy to fight against revenge porn in that country. Revenge porn is when a user uploads photos or videos that are sexual in nature of someone online without their permission, often a former lover or sexual partner.
According to one report, Facebook has partnered with Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner, an office that is dedicated to protecting individuals from online victimization. Facebook has the technology to digitally hash the images from photos or videos and determine who the person is that is in them. The technology involves using artificial intelligence to render face matching algorithms. Facebook already actively bans accounts involved in revenge porn activities and in the past has used its AI technology to preemptively remove content based on what had been previously reported, face matching that content as well to achieve the intended results.
This technology will prevent people from uploading particular photos once the link and digital hash footprint has been established, according to reporting from popular technology website, TechCrunch.
According to the original source of reports, Facebook wants to stop a load of unwanted nude photos from appearing on Messenger and Instagram accounts. This is according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Facebook owns both of those platforms. Instagram is a social media photo sharing app and Messenger is an instant messaging platform. Both are used by at least hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Australia is reportedly not the only country involved in testing this new strategy for Facebook, but it remains unclear who the other countries involved are. TechCrunch reported that at least four countries are involved in this trial test. Those who have spoke out for victims of online abuse such as this have said that it can be devastating for them once revenge porn has been uploaded. It can even impact their jobs, education, relationships, reputation or other key parts of a person social, family or career life.
ABC in Australia and the e-Safety Commissioner are saying that sending the nudes to yourself on Facebook is safe and effective in the fight against revenge porn. The e-Safety Commissioner in Australia is Julie Inman Grant. Grant said one-in-five Australian women 18 to 45 years old and one-in-four Indigenous Australians are victims of revenge porn activities in Australia.
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