Storing and sharing explicit images increases the risk of further abuse
A global study by Kaspersky revealed a fundamental shift in attitudes and a shift in the unwritten rules of social and romantic interactions in the digital age, especially when it comes to sharing explicit images.
An extensive survey involving 9,033 respondents revealed the extent of recording, saving and sharing of explicit images on smart devices. The experience of abuse of intimate images, known as “revenge pornography”, is widespread – almost half (47%) of all respondents confirmed that they had experienced this phenomenon, whether they experienced it personally (7%) or knew someone who had experienced this form of online abuse. Abuse of intimate images is particularly pronounced among younger generations, as 69% of respondents aged 16 to 24 and 64% of respondents aged 25 to 34 reported such experiences.
Normalization of the burning problem
“Our research highlights the increasing normalization of a pressing social issue: the public, especially younger individuals, are increasingly sharing intimate images without considering the long-term consequences,” explains David Em, chief security researcher in Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team. “Over the past 25 years, technology has simplified the recording and sharing of such images, and significant changes have occurred in behavior and attitudes towards online dating, accelerating the trend of sharing intimate messages. Awareness of the risks involved can empower individuals to make the right decisions when making decisions about their behavior in the digital world.
There is a significant gender imbalance when it comes to attitudes about sharing intimate images. Data shows that 20% of men have sent nude/explicit material to someone they have never met in real life. Also, 30% of men surveyed believe that receiving an intimate image gives them ownership of that content. In contrast, 12% of women have shared explicit images sent to them with others, of which 27% are guided by predetermined boundaries in their relationships. This behavior highlights the dark side of sharing intimate images, where personal content can be misused to harm, intimidate or humiliate.
Do young people protect themselves enough?
Despite the prevalence of image sharing, only 21% of those who have shared images have requested that they be deleted from another person’s device, indicating a worrying lack of awareness of the potential consequences of sharing intimate images. The study also raises the issue of so-called “victim blaming” where exactly half (50%) of respondents agree that if you have shared a picture of yourself, it is your fault if it ends up in the wrong hands.
Last year, the Share Foundation launched the “Cyber Intima” initiative with the aim of better informing victims of “revenge pornography” about the steps they should take if they want to report this kind of violence. According to Mila Bajić, chief researcher from the Share Foundation, reporting of such cases is still poorly represented in Serbia due to the stigma that “digital” cases of violence are less harmful than those that happen offline. This type of violence is made worse by the fact that it is almost impossible to remove this content from the Internet once it has been published. In recent years, the topic of abuse of intimate content has become more and more important in our country after the discovery of Telegram groups in which porn content is shared. Conversations on this topic in the public space and better information among citizens are needed in order to recognize this form of violence.
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“There is currently no criminal offense in Serbia that specifically targets abuse of intimate content. In several countries in the region, we have seen criminal law reforms that have led to the criminalization of these types of cyber violence, such as Croatia, Slovenia and most recently Montenegro at the end of 2023, which represent a positive example and can serve as a model for how to approach such cases”, says Bajić.
David Cook, Senior Director of Regulatory Trust & Safety and Partnerships at Aylo, which operates well-known adult content platforms such as Pornhub, RedTube, and YouPorn, concludes: “Education and prevention are key to eliminating the growing problem of abuse of intimate images without the consent of the person in the image (Non-consensual intimate image abuse – NCII). Our policy requires the identification and consent of all artists within the content before it is published on our platforms and includes the immediate removal of any material if copyright infringement is reported through our content removal forms, as well as a dissuasion message for anyone searching for terms associated with NCII. It is vital that more online platforms join STOPNCII.org to continue the fight and prevent new victims. Cross-industry partnerships such as Aylo’s partnership with STOPNCII are critical in developing faster and more sophisticated methods to prevent this horrific form of online abuse.”
Tips on how to stay safe:
- Think before you post any content. Be careful about who you share your data with and when. Always consider how others may interpret and use the content you share online.
- Research which communication apps are secure and have end-to-end encryption.
- If you think you are a victim of IIA, keep the evidence and report it to the police and platforms where you believe your information is available.
- Always check the security settings in the apps you use to minimize the likelihood of your data being shared or stored by third parties – and beyond – without your knowledge.
- Use a trusted security solution like Kaspersky Password Manager to generate and secure unique passwords for each account; resist the temptation to reuse the same one.
- Use StopNCII.org, a global online tool to protect against the sharing of intimate images on some of the most widely used platforms around the world.
Additional resources:
Source: BIZLife
Photo: Freepik/Pixabay
Source: bizlife.rs
