Latest reports suggest that social networking platform Facebook is teaming up with a small Australian Government agency to combat Revenge Porn. They are attempting to stop intimate photos of people ending up on Instagram and Facebook Messenger without the subjects’ consent. This will enable victims to take action before the photos are posted.
Intimate photos to be sent to user’s own Messenger account
According to e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, many a time sexual or intimate photos are taken consensually at some point. However, this does not entitle either party to share those images with the public.
Unfortunately, one in four Indigenous Australians and one in five Australian women aged 18-45 are victims of such “image-based abuse.”
The process is relatively simple. A user who is bothered about her/his photos ending up on Facebook, Messenger or Instagram, will simply send the intimate photos to her/his personal Messenger account. It is like sending personal photos to oneself. Facebook will then use its technology to “hash” the images. It means creating a link or a digital fingerprint.
AI and photo-matching tech
Of course, the user has to get in touch with the e-Safety Commissioner to start the process. This is a very safe, secure, and end-to-end way of securing the intimate photos. Facebook will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and photo-matching technologies to create image links.
The moment someone tries to upload the same image(s), it will be prevented from getting uploaded.
Antigone Davis, Facebook's head of global safety, recently told ABC News that the wellbeing and safety of the Facebook community is a top priority. Four nations are taking part in the "industry-first" pilot.” The highly-advanced technology will prevent re-sharing of images by hackers or exes.
Best system in place
Ms. Grant also mentioned the infamous Richmond Football Club incident where a young girl’s photo with sports memorabilia on her bare chest went viral. The girl had asked the player (the one who took the photo) to delete it. However, the image was sent to a few friends of the player instead. With the new technology, such photos will be safe with Facebook.
Ms. Grant also mentioned that Facebook and the agency have tried out various methods before finalizing the new method. It is a tried and tested one, and safest for users to share digital footprints. She concluded by saying that the new tech will empower and protect vulnerable people.
Facebook recently told Gizmodo that the “hash” system has been previously used to prevent reported non-consensual photos from being re-uploaded. However, this is the first time users can select images to be banned. This means that the images will never show up on the social networking platform.
