In a bipartisan effort to combat the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery (NII) online, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have sent letters to the CEOs of several major tech companies, urging them to participate in two voluntary programs aimed at locating and removing explicit images from their platforms.
The letters, which were also signed by a group of bipartisan senators, were sent to the leaders of X (formerly Twitter), Alphabet, Amazon, Match, Zoom, Pinterest, Discord, OpenAI, Twitch, Microsoft, and Patreon.
The senators are advocating for the adoption of the “Take It Down” and “Stop NCII” programs, which allow users to anonymously flag and remove explicit images of themselves from digital platforms. These programs are seen as vital tools in addressing the growing problem of NII, which has become increasingly prevalent in today’s digital age.
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Last year, the Revenge Porn Helpline reported a 106 percent increase in total reports of NII, with 34 percent of cases involving sextortion. The spread of such content can have devastating effects on individuals, particularly young women and girls.
In their letters, the senators emphasized the serious consequences of NII, stating, “With one post, NII shared online has the opportunity to ruin the life of an individual, often times young women and girls, and the presence of such on your platform cannot be taken lightly.”
They continued, “By increasing participation in these programs, companies can take actionable steps to stop the life-altering impact that the NII has on the life, career, and family of those affected.”
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The letters were co-signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Senator Scott has been a vocal advocate for protecting families and children online and has introduced several pieces of legislation this Congress, including the ASK Act, Safe Social Media Act, and DATA Act, all aimed at increasing online safety and holding Big Tech companies accountable for their use of personal data.
The senators are now awaiting responses from the tech companies and hope that their call to action will lead to broader adoption of these critical safety measures.
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