Revenge Porn Banned In New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law today that criminalizes the publishing of "revenge porn" in New York. It makes the act a misdemeanor, and those who do could face up to a year in jail, as well as civil damages. The law goes into effect in 60 days.

"Revenge porn" is the act of publishing intimate images or videos that were supposed to remain private. It almost always targets women, and can lead to a loss of jobs, relationships and more.

"Our laws have not kept pace with technology and how abusers can use it to harass, intimidate and humiliate intimate partners," Cuomo said. "By criminalizing the publication of revenge porn, we are empowering victims of this heinous act to take action against their abusers and showing them a path to justice."

The law defines revenge porn as "the criminal act of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image when done with the intent to cause harm to the emotional, financial, or physical welfare of another person and when the image was taken with a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private."

It makes the dissemination or publication of an intimate image a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and gives the victims of the crime the ability to seek a court order to have the images removed. It also amends the Civil Rights Law to allow the victims to seek civil damages.

The measure was first introduced to the state Legislature in 2013, but stalled for many years. Similar measures were proposed in Nassau County earlier this year, and it was already outlawed in Suffolk County last year and in New York City in 2017.