Revenge porn law aims to protect more victims

A bill to expand the scope of last year’s law to combat “revenge porn” was approved by the Senate Tuesday.

It modifies the current law to include what is commonly known as a “selfie,” which is an image someone takes of themselves. It also eases the requirements for prosecuting the crime.

California was the first state in the nation to pass a law criminalizing revenge porn.

State Senator Anthony Cannella authored the bill and said similar legislation has been enacted in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Last year, Governor Brown made the act a misdemeanor, but the new bill protects more victims. Cannella’s office said the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative estimates that more than half of revenge porn cases involve selfies.