Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC May Make Revenge Porn A Crime
By
Gaby Del Valle
Published Sep 13, 2016
Modified Sep 13, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
istockphoto.com / Katarzyna Bialasiewicz
By
Gaby Del Valle
Published Sep 13, 2016
Modified Sep 13, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
City Councilmembers will introduce a bill this week that would make revenge porn a crime, punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Images that qualify as revenge porn are often posted on gossip websites like the infamous, now-defunct IsAnyoneUp.com, where "revenge porn kingpin" Hunter Moore not only posted submissions by vengeful exes, but went as far as hacking into victims' email accounts to find more photos. Before Moore and his partner in crime Charles Evens were arrested in California in 2014, their website had almost 30 million page views a month and reportedly made up to $30,000 a month in revenue.
The bill would not only prohibit people from uploading such images online with the intent of harming the person in them, but also from distributing them in any way, including through text and email. Its only exception is if the images are somehow a matter of public interest, e.g., if they're of political or journalistic interest.
"For people, primarily but not exclusively women, this can be devastating and traumatic. I think it's one of the lowest things one person can do to another—we want to deter that conduct and we want to hold people accountable," Councilmember Rory Lancman, the bill's prime co-sponsor, told Gothamist.
"Life is a nightmare for victims of revenge porn, as relationships are damaged, careers are put in jeopardy, and online harassment is a daily battle," Councilmember Daniel Garodnick, the bill's second co-sponsor, said in a statement.
According to a 2015 survey by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative cyberbullying.org, 90 percent of revenge porn victims are women, and 93 percent said they have suffered significant emotional distress due to revenge porn, with 51 percent of victims saying they had considered committing suicide as a result.
New York State currently has "Peeping Tom" and unlawful surveillance laws that prohibit secretly recording sexually explicit pictures or videos, but revenge porn's distinguishing factor is that the images are almost always recorded consensually.
"This is one of those situations where the law has not caught up with technology," Lancman said. "When you have a situation where someone is consensually recorded and photographed, and the person who received the photograph now has the ability to disseminate that to the whole world, that simply didn't exist 20 or 30 years ago. And now it exists at the click of a button."
Thirty-four other states, as well as Washington, D.C., already have laws against revenge porn on the books. A similar bill was introduced at the state level by Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, but it has stalled, which inspired Lancman and Garodnick to introduce legislation at the city level.
"Revenge porn is a form of bullying and terrorizing, and it offends me very much that one person would abuse another's trust in that way," Lancman said. "Hopefully we can bring to New York City the level of protection Assemblyman Braunstein has tried to bring all New Yorkers."
Tagged
daniel garodnick
revenge porn
rory lancman
Gaby Del Valle
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Legal 'loophole' helps NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman raise millions
In theory, New York's gubernatorial candidates can accept donations of up to $9,000. In practice, it’s way higher.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 12:54 p.m. ET
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
D’Angelo Caraballo and Sneider Mejia are wanted on several charges, including attempted murder.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
D’Angelo Caraballo and Sneider Mejia are wanted on several charges, including attempted murder.
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYC’s autumn foliage will be a fall feast this year
By
Rosemary Misdary
NY officials worry migrants will skip healthcare amid fed policy change
By
Caroline Lewis
Early Addition: Spy magazine is doing a Substack pop-up
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .