Facebook to crack down on revenge porn in Australia by putting digital fingerprint on images

November 9, 2017

Netsafe's Martin Cocker thought the tool will "absolutely" come to New Zealand.

Facebook in Australia is piloting a programme aimed at cracking down on revenge porn.

Anyone who is worried their intimate pictures will be shared on the site without their consent can send them via the Messenger function on Facebook to get them 'hashed'.

That will see the image converted into a unique digital fingerprint that will block any attempts at uploading the original by someone else. 

Executive director of Netsafe Martin Cocker says the move "will make a big difference". 

"In simple terms, Australia would allow you to upload your own photos, by sending it to yourself, and to identify that as a photo that you never want released on Facebook, because it is image based abuse."

"Obviously people still have to go through the process of reporting the image, which means you have to know the image exists and you have to have a copy of it youself… but it's a big part of the solution to this problem."

Mr Cocker said revenge porn is when "typically people in a relationship create intimate images of each other then later on, typically when they break up, one of the partners threatens to release those images or does release those images". 

The tool isn't available in New Zealand yet, but Mr Cocker thought it would be "absolutely" cross the ditch. 

"In this country we have the Harmful Digital Communication Act, so you can report it to Netsafe or report it to the police and the person who is sharing them is breaking the law, it's an offence."

"But as these tools come up, we'd recommend people using them."


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