ITIF Welcomes Inclusion of Anti-Revenge Porn Amendment in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act
WASHINGTON—Ahead of the U.S. House’ vote on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which includes an amendment to outlaw revenge porn, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro:
Justice requires accountability, and including the SHIELD Act in this reauthorization will hold abusers and harassers accountable for distributing private, explicit images of individuals without their consent.
This is a great step forward given federal laws have not kept up with the rise of revenge porn. This type of targeted legislation is exactly what is needed to ensure these despicable acts become unlawful while upholding free speech rights for all Americans.
Congress should continue to work on solutions for combatting online abuse and making the Internet a safer space for the exchange of ideas and commerce.
For more information on this topic, see:
- Daniel Castro, Alan McQuinn, “Why and How Congress Should Outlaw Revenge Porn” (ITIF, July 2015)
- Ashley Johnson, Daniel Castro, “Proposals to Reform Section 230” (ITIF, February 2021)
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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. Recognized by its peers in the think tank community as the global center of excellence for science and technology policy, ITIF’s mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.
