While the United States is taking small steps to criminalize revenge porn state-by-state, today Israel passed a bill to outlaw the act.
According to YNet News, Israel’s Knesset passed a law on Monday that will criminalize revenge porn, or “virtual rape.” MK Yifat Kariv led the amendment — part of a bigger Sexual Harassment Prevention Bill — which states “no video or image of sexual character can be uploaded” to the Internet or social media. If someone does upload sexual content without the other person’s knowledge, it will be considered sexual harassment, and the perpetrator could receive up to five years in jail.
According to the report, Kariv drafted the amendment after hearing of a woman whose images were uploaded to the social media platform WhatsApp by an ex. She further stated:
“Legislative intervention is needed to fight this horrible phenomenon of ‘virtual rape.’ It is clear the legislation is always trailing technological developments. But this bill is groundbreaking, and its passing is a great victory for victims of sexual assault.”
On Monday, former labor chief Amram Mitzna called for the Education Ministry to provide sexual education in schools—part of another discussion led by Kariv—after a 12-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped. Said Kariv:
“According to research, most of the youth derive their sexual information from pornographic web sites that display a distorted view of sex. From sexual relations just sex remains, without the relations. Where is the place of the education system in the education of our children?”
Photo via Masa Israel Journey/Flickr
