Google is to begin accepting requests to remove “revenge porn” images and videos from search listings.
Victims of revenge porn, who have had intimate pictures and videos uploaded to the internet without their consent, most often by ex-partners, will be able to request that they no longer show up in searches.
They will still exist, but will be harder to find.
Revenge porn is a criminal offence in England and Wales, and some US states are beginning to make it illegal to share such images.
Google Vice President Amit Singhal said that while the company was usually reluctant to remove search listings, in the case of revenge porn, it would cause more harm not to.
He said in a statement: “Revenge porn images are intensely personal and emotionally damaging, and serve only to degrade the victims—predominantly women.
“So going forward, we’ll honour requests from people to remove nude or sexually explicit images shared without their consent from Google Search results.
“We know this won’t solve the problem of revenge porn—we aren’t able, of course, to remove these images from the websites themselves—but we hope that honoring people’s requests to remove such imagery from our search results can help.”
Earlier this month, YouTuber Chrissy Chambers shared her story of being a victim of revenge porn, and launched a campaign to fight against it.
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