Twitter made the change official on Wednesday, prohibiting "intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject's consent."

 

"It is a gratifying move, one sorely needed and appreciated," explained University of Maryland law professor Danielle Keats Citron, author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace. "Twitter's approach strikes a good balance: Victims can report revenge porn as abuse and then have to confirm that it is an image featuring them that they don't want online. This protects victims so long as moderators move quickly and insulates against false claims by anti-porn activists."

 

Reddit made a similar change last month.

 

It seems that "revenge porn" types are persona non grata on the Internet, and owners of sites that peddle in such imagery have faced serious consequences.

 

Craig Brittain, the owner of IsAnybodyDown, settled with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and was forced to destroy all images and personal contact information he collected from victims. And Hunter Moore, the creator of IsAnyoneUp.com, recently pled guilty to charges of hacking and identity theft; he is awaiting sentencing.

 

The guys who founded UGotPosted.com, Eric Chanson and Kevin Bollaert, each have been ordered to pay $450,000 in civil damages to a woman whose nude photos - of her as a minor - had been posted. Bollaert may also get a 20 year prison stay.

 

Twitter bans 'revenge porn' [USA Today]