New Laws To Tackle Revenge Porn And Online Harassment Proposed In Ireland
Social media companies and governments around the world have been updating policies and legislation in an attempt to stop the growth of revenge porn, with mixed results. If you need help with a revenge porn problem, or any kind of online abuse - follow the links throughout the article to our various support services.
New legislation is being put before the Dáil in Ireland, aimed at protecting people from revenge porn and online harassment – with potential maximum sentences of up to 7 years in prison. The new legislation will include cyberbullying, online harassment and cyberstalking.
The act of ‘revenge porn’ is when someone (frequently previous sexual partners) shares or posts inappropriate or sexually explicit images on the internet without consent – with the potential for devastating consequences. Cases of revenge porn destroying lives have become regular in the media, and the problem is growing.
“Posting intimate, lewd and unacceptable images that were meant for an intimate couple is totally unacceptable, and that will be outlawed in the bill we have before the Dáil.”
Brendan Howlin, Leader of the Labour Party, Ireland
Currently in Ireland, there are no specific laws to punish people distributing sexually explicit images of a partner or former partner without consent, which make cases of revenge porn difficult to prosecute.
Brendan Howlin shared his concerns that the laws currently in place dated back to 1951, and were designed to cover more conventional bullying through text and traditional mail only.
“The internet needs to ensure that our citizens will not be bullied, harassed, hurt and in some instances crushed as we’ve seen it in the past. Other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand are well in advance of us.”
Brendan Howlin, Leader of the Labour Party, Ireland
Ireland is following many countries around the world, who are updating their legislation to include digital communication with a focus on cyberbullying, harassment and revenge porn. The U.K. has recently warned parents that they could be arrested and have their homes raided if their children send sexually explicit images on mobile phones that they pay for.
If you need help with a revenge porn problem or any other kind of online negativity, we can help. Visit our Total Access Support section to learn more about the various ways we can help you, or use our Cyberbullying and Online Abuse Help Center for practical advice. For further information about Cybersmile and the work we do, please explore the following suggestions.
- Who Are Cybersmile?
- People We’ve Helped!
- The Cybersmile Conversation (Allow a few moments to load, but worth the wait!)
- Revenge Porn Almost Killed Me
- Cybersmile Advisory Panel
- Global Support Service
- Cybersmile Campaign And Activity Highlights Of 2017
- Stop Cyberbullying Day
- Guide To Reputation Management
- Facebook Address Revenge Porn Problem
- Cybersmile Newsroom
- Google Takes Action For Revenge Porn Victims
- Corporate Partnership Program
- Become A Cybersmile Sustainer
What are your thoughts on the proposed legislation updates in Ireland? Tweet us @CybersmileHQ.
