Reddit Will Remove Naked Photos If They're Posted Without Permission
Reddit Privacy Policy Change - Reddit Removes Nude Photos Posted Without Consent
In a move that is a win but doesn't quite feel like one, Reddit announced a change to its privacy policy that prohibits the posting of nude or sexually explicit images when posted without the consent of the individual(s) in the photo. We'll let that sink in for a second.
"Last year, we missed a chance to be a leader in social media when it comes to protecting your privacy—something we've cared deeply about since reddit's inception," the change states. "At our recent all hands company meeting, this was something that we all, as a company, decided we needed to address."
"No matter who you are, if a photograph, video, or digital image of you in a state of nudity, sexual excitement, or engaged in any act of sexual conduct, is posted or linked to on reddit without your permission, it is prohibited on reddit. We also recognize that violent personalized images are a form of harassment that we do not tolerate and we will remove them when notified."
This is actually pretty huge move on the company's part, as it has taken to a sort of self-governing model where users are essentially in control of all content posted to the site. (It was one of the sites that was also involved in the nude celebrity hacking scandal, with photos posted without consent.)
In fact, only a couple of years ago a sub-Reddit called "Jailbait" was created by Michael Brutsch that was dedicated to posting and trading photos of underage girls. Yeah. YEAH.
"We're so proud to be leading the way among our peers when it comes to your digital privacy and consider this to be one more step in the right direction," Reddit stated.
In one respect, this is definitely a step in the right direction. In another—what the hell? Internet, you scare us sometimes.
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Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.