Facebook is teaming up with four countries to test a preemptive system to detect and defend against “revenge porn.” Users are being asked to upload nude photos of themselves to Messenger.
The Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner announced they were partnering with the social media giant last week on a pilot scheme that will allow anyone to report sensitive images being shared online without their permission.
The eSafety office, which works primarily to prevent the online abuse of minors, asked any Australian who fears that intimate images of themselves may be online to send a nude photo of themselves via Messenger. They will then notify Facebook, who will use image matching technology to stop those images from being uploaded to Facebook, Messenger, Facebook Groups or Instagram.
Facebook’s Head of Global Safety, Antigone Davis, said that the “industry-first” pilot will use “cutting-edge technology to prevent the re-sharing of images on its platforms.”

The Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that revenge porn or “image-based abuse” (IBA) can be an “incredibly devastating experience” for the victims.
The victims of revenge porn often give initial consent to sharing their photos with one other person, only to find out later that the images have fallen into the hands of a stranger. Sexually explicit photos and the threat of publishing them for the world to see can then be used for blackmail.
A recent study found that one in five Australians has been victims of revenge porn. Both men and women were found to be victims, but those in marginalized groups were found to be at the greatest risk.
If the pilot goes as planned, the images will never show up on Facebook, even if someone tries to upload them. The US, UK and Canada will also participate in the pilot with Facebook.

source: RT.com