Bumble, TikTok join platform that tackles ‘revenge porn’
Online dating platform Bumble and short-video platform TikTok have joined Facebook and Instagram as industry partners of StopNCII.org, a platform that helps users tackle “revenge porn.” The participating companies will now receive “hashes” from StopNCII.org, making it easier to take down non-consensual intimate images.
How StopNCII.org works
If a person is being threatened with intimate image abuse, they can create unique identifiers of their images—hashes or “digital fingerprints” — and share them with StopNCII.org. These hashes are strings of letters and numbers and their use means that the images themselves do not have to leave the users’ devices.
The hashes submitted to the platform are shared with participating partners. If an image with a corresponding hash is uploaded, they will be sent to a moderation team of the participating platform, provided they fall under the policy requirements of the platform in question. After this, if the image meets the criteria of an intimate image, it will be removed and blocked from further sharing.
Limitations of StopNCII.org
In order to be considered for removal, the images in question need to qualify as being taken in an intimate setting. This includes images and videos where the victim is naked, showing their genitals, engaging in sexual activity, or wearing underwear in compromising positions.
Also, this service can only be used by individuals who are over the age of 18, meaning that child pornography victims cannot use the platform. In the case of child sexual abuse material, victims will have to work with non-governmental organisations that are legally authorised to do so.
Gloss