Reddit announced Tuesday that it is updating its privacy policy as part of efforts to prohibit users from posting nude, sexual and graphic images and videos without the consent of the individual(s). The change will take into effect Mar. 10, but the company noted that it’s just a first step in taking actions against this matter of so-called revenge porn.
Indeed, this is a huge shift from when the social media outlet launched a decade ago, when users have been allowed to govern themselves. This user-generated content is one of the reasons why Reddit has increased its subscription base to an estimated 160 million regular users.
Reddit has imposed a series of changes over the past year, especially since receiving the $50 million round of venture capital. The New York Times opines that Reddit has “re-dedicated itself to proving it can build a long-lasting, sustainable business on top of the huge amount of traffic it regularly attracts, which has caused some degree of self-scrutiny. ”
Although it’s a minor move for the average person, it’s an important victory for those who have been activists against and victims of revenge porn. These parties have been encouraging tech companies and lawmakers to take a stance against this privacy breach. In other words, if you happen to discover a nude photo of yourself on the Internet then you don’t have many options to consider.
It has been reported that a handful of states have enacted revenge porn legislation, but experts argue that it largely omits large social networks akin to Reddit. The reason for this is because they are protected by section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which provides these entities immunity when third-party persons or organizations publish content that doesn’t violate federal law.
This comes one day after we reported that Google has taken another step against pornography: it has banned sexually explicit content from being shared on its blogging platform Blogger.