Representative Jackie Speier, D-Ca, plans to introduce a bill criminalizing “revenge porn.” A number of states already have laws against revenge porn on the books or are currently drafting them. Danielle Citron, a law professor who studies Internet harassment, said a federal law is needed to protect those not covered by state law. She doesn’t think a properly written federal law would violate the First Amendment since laws now on the books against cyber-stalking and extortion have not chilled free speech. (Gawker, March 27, 2014, by Michelle Dean)
Making revenge porn a federal crime may require third party providers to remove or block access to the content. But Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Matt Zimmerman says there is great risk of “overreach” and favors expanding civil liability for those posting revenge porn. (U.S. News & World Report, March 25, 2014, by Steven Nelson)
Many are concerned that changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that guarantees Internet neutrality would invite extensive censorship. (Nieman Journalism Lab, March 27, 2014, by Joshua Benton)