A controversial "revenge porn" site is being shuttered by the feds and has been ordered to destroy all photos and images and is banned from future posting activity.
The Federal Trade Commission says Craig Brittain made $12,000 from a scheme in which he uploaded images that were either leaked by victim's ex-lovers or acquired through deceit. Brittain would also send women nude pictures of other women and claim to be the subject of the photos, as a way to get victims to share their own images with him.
Brittain would also charge his victims a premium to have their images removed from his site, the FTC claims. On top of that, Brittain is accused of listing image-removal services on his site.
His image-removal services, branded "Takedown Hammer" and "Takedown Lawyer," would charge victims between $200 and $500 for photo removal.
The "revenge porn" site also listed personal information along with images. The victim's full names, addresses and links to their social networking accounts often accompanied revealing photos.
"This behavior is not only illegal but reprehensible," says Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
While Brittain won't face any punitive action, he will have to work in plain view of the commission if he intends to remain in the online porn business. Along with having to destroy all of the "revenge porn," Brittain will have to prove to the FTC that any future nude images he posts are consensual.
"I am pleased that as a result of this settlement, the illegally collected images and information will be deleted, and this individual can never return to the so-called 'revenge porn' business," says Rich.
Revenge porn is gaining attention from lawmakers and federal regulators and there are efforts to create laws prohibiting such activity. At this point, copyright law is the lone leverage victims can use to seek damages. The Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project is working on 100 "revenge porn" cases, helping victims launch civil action while prosecutors work out criminal charges.
