Talk Shows on Mute by Katie Tegtmeyer from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

The movie Sex Tape comes out this week. The previews look dumb, but I want to see it to examine the story from a legal perspective.

I’ve done a fair amount of research and writing about cyber harassment and “revenge porn.” I’m generally an advocate of personal responsibility and people not acting like asses, but judging by the terms people search for and end up on my site, a lot of people don’t share my views.

Here is a sample of the terms people have searched for and ended up on my site just in the last ninety days. (I corrected the spelling errors unless they were too funny not to leave in.)

I get a lot of hits on my site when people search for terms like this:

• Can someone post your picture without permission
• Can I sue someone for posting pictures of me online
• If someone sends you a photo via phone can you post it online
• Is it illegal to take a picture of someone and post it on the internet
• Sex tape invasion of privacy
• Expectation of privacy in sex stores
• How to get a sex tape of you removed from a website?

I feel bad for these people:

• What if someone wants to post your explicit pictures
• Someone is threatening to put me on a porn site
• My daughter videotaped herself doing some sexual things and now someone is threatening to put it on the internet what now
• Someone posted nude pics of me, what type of lawyer do I need
• Girlfriend took illegal pictures and put them on Facebook
• If a site posts my porn video can I make them take it down
• My ex-husband has intimate pictures of me what can I do
• What is the legal steps you can take when someone is distributing a sex tape of you without your consent
• My ex-boyfriend has nude pics of me. Can I legally do anything to make him delete them?
• Can I get someone arrested for posting nude pictures of me online
• Can you get someone arrested for distributing a sex tape?
• Can you be classified as a sex offender for posting nudes on Facebook Arizona

These people kind of scare me because they either sound vindictive or clueless:

• Wapsites to post my nude pics
• Took photos of my ex naked while she was passed out
• Can I post pics of my ex online
• Can I post a naked pic on the internet without the consent of that person
• If a person uploads sex videos in prone sites how much money will he get
• Do you allow people to post nude pictures on your site I broke up with a guy
• If u put wife nude video with name on internet can u get in trouble
• Is giving out naked pictures of your ex- girlfriend breaking the law
• Can you send xrated pics to get back at someone
• Is it illegal to take a picture of someone and caption it with a degrading comment

These are just funny:

• Can you sue a person for taking a photo of your butt in public
• My ex sent me nude pics can I prosicute her
• What to do to keep ur man after he saw ur nude pics sent to an ex
• My boyfriend exposed my nude pictures. I will arrest him
• Can you take pictures of people having public sex?
• How to legally make fun of people on the internet
• Why do people post stupid things online

Anyone who’s a regular reader knows that I constantly say “Think before you post.” When it comes to taking explicit photos or videos with your significant other, don’t do it unless you can handle the responsibility and have enough integrity to keep your private life private.

If you feel you’ve been the victim of a cyber-crime, contact the police in your community. If you want to chat about other issues related to cyberharassment and revenge porn, feel free to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me. You can also subscribe to the Carter Law Firm newsletter.
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