Facebook is asking you to upload your nudes in order to stop revenge porn

It may seem odd, but this actually makes a lot of sense. Facebook wants users to upload their nudes in order to put a stop to revenge porn. The feature is being tested in Australia first, and entails users uploading nude photos of themselves and designating them “non-consensual intimate images.” That way Facebook can identify the photos should someone else try to circulate them through the site. While Facebook originally announced these plans in April, the pilot program is now underway. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada are also expected to test the program.
Users will be able to fill out a form and send their photos to Facebook through messenger, according to an article by CNBC. From there, Facebook will use image-matching technology to detect whether or not an uploaded photo has been previously flagged.
By definition, revenge porn consists of sexually explicit photos of someone not intended for public display, which are uploaded to sites without the permission of the individual involved. If you’ve ever taken nude photographs and sent them to a significant other who then put them online without permission, that constitutes revenge porn.
Revenge porn is a serious issue and a huge violation of personal privacy, and it’s compounded by the fact that once something’s on the internet it can be almost impossible to take back. It’s one of the main reasons Facebook is attempting to help tackle the problem.
As expected, not everyone is sold on the new feature.
Ewe! @facebook wants you to send them your nude pics in order to stop your ex from uploading them! Yeah right!#Scam #MAGA https://t.co/XqRzDe1xjn
— 🐦Whitney🐦 (@WhitneyChirps) November 9, 2017
Facebook asks people to send them their nudes so they can prevent them from being posted as revenge porn. Nothing will go wrong with this plan. https://t.co/ftQbQji4YD
— Eva (@evacide) November 8, 2017
Some genius nerd thought of the best way to ask for nudes without sounding like a creep https://t.co/LoiT9l2DLK
— Corinne Clark Barron (@corinnec) November 9, 2017
While we’re unsure if the feature will last, one thing is for sure — we’re glad Facebook is taking this issue seriously and is attempting to find ways to help.