WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), and Nancy Mace (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation to address the distribution of private, sexually explicit images without consent – this conduct is often called “revenge porn.” The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act gives prosecutors a critical tool by establishing federal criminal liability for people who engage in image-based sexual abuse by distributing others’ private images without consent.
“Sharing someone else’s private images online, without consent, is predatory behavior that causes grave reputational, psychological, and social harm. It should be prosecuted,” Congresswoman Dean said. “People deserve protection from this disturbing privacy violation. To do that, we must close the gaps in current laws and ensure the Department of Justice has what it needs to prosecute these cases. I’m grateful to my colleagues for this bipartisan effort to protect the online privacy and dignity of the American people.”
“Distributing an individual’s private images online is a disgusting violation of personal privacy, and those who choose to do so should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Congressman Fitzpatrick said. “I’m proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues on the Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act to bolster penalties for sexual exploitation via distribution of private images.”
“In today’s cyber-centered world, the necessity of legislation like the SHIELD Act cannot be overstated. Nobody, under any circumstances, should have private intimate imagery shared on the internet without their consent. The pain that is caused by perpetrators who knowingly share sexually explicit or nude images of someone without their consent has ruined lives. It is weaponized to humiliate, harass, intimidate, and even exploit people who are primarily women. I am proud to cross the aisle, to join my colleagues and lead on this legislation to give prosecutors and victims the tools to bring perpetrators to justice and to further deter offenders from committing such terrible violations of privacy,” Congresswoman Plaskett said.
"As a mother and survivor of sexual assault, we understand the extent to which online dissemination of private imagery violates personal dignity. As social media and online crimes continue to evolve, Congress must act to keep up so those who engage in such acts can be held fully accountable. The SHIELD Act will strengthen penalties for these crimes, punishing those involved so that these cowardly and debasing acts will be properly deterred,” Congresswoman Mace said.
The SHIELD Act would:
-
Ensure that the Department of Justice has an appropriate and effective tool to address these serious privacy violations;
-
Establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share private, sexually explicit or nude images without consent;
-
Fill in gaps in existing law that prevent prosecutors from holding those who share explicit images of children accountable; and
-
Protect the victims of serious privacy violations, while leaving room for sharing consensual images and images of public concern.
The SHIELD Act is endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; National Association of Police Organizations; Cyber Civil Rights Initiative; Bumble; Girls Inc.; and National District Attorneys Association.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Coryn (R-TX) champion a companion bill in the Senate. The text of the bill can be found here.
Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.
###
