Summary: California is taking the fight against cyber-exploitation to the next level by starting a new campaign that pairs law enforcement with tech companies to stop the damaging cyber assault from continuing.
California’s Attorney General is not willing to let those committing revenge porn and other online assaults go without punishment anymore. A partnership between tech companies and law enforcement was announced on Wednesday to fight cyber-exploitation. Their goal is to make removing non-consensual images easier and assist victims in finding justice for online crimes.
They aim to reach their goal by training police so that offenders can be brought to justice and by enlisting the help of the tech giants to figure out how to remove intimate photos or videos that have been posted online without consent so that investigations can be continued.
A.G. Kamala Harris noted, “The leaders in tech have really stepped up and a number of companies have changed and upgraded their policies to fight cyber-exploitation. Microsoft and Google, along with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and others have helped create a best-practices guide for the tech industry. This is huge: When we called on them for help, they stepped away from the innovation they’re creating to work with us.”
The campaign has taken nine months of hard work by the Cyber Exploitation Working Group, Department of Justice, law enforcement, tech companies, and victims’ advocates. Cyber-safety advocates are hoping the model that A.G. Harris has established will help other states follow with their own.
Photo: jtf.org