Florida Senator to Reintroduce 'Revenge Porn' Bill

MIAMI — Seminole County State Sen. David Simmons is planning to introduce a new anti-revenge porn bill for next year’s legislative session that begins in March.

He proposed a similar bill last year, but it stalled and ultimately died before the senate’s adjournment.

"It's the ability of a person to literally destroy another person by publication that can go all over the world," Simmons said about revenge porn. "That's a lot of power that's given to an individual to make some really bad decisions, destroy their lives and humiliate the other person."

Adult industry attorney Larry Walters noted at the time of the last bill's death that Florida's proposal appeared to be both vague and overbroad, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Mary Ann Franks, a University of Miami law school professor, is drafting model legislation for Simmons to consider, although the two disagree on a significant point. Simmons wants to criminalize nonconsensual image posting only when there's an intent to harass or do harm to ensure the protection of the First Amendment; Franks believes the intent is inconsequential, arguing that the victim is harmed regardless of the motive.

A spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union sided with Simmons, saying that the bill would need to be "very narrowly drawn" to be approved by the ACLU.

Franks recently announced that she is also working with an as-yet unnamed member of Congress to hack out a federal revenge porn law. She told news outlets that a federal law would prevent webmasters and Internet providers from claiming immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

New Jersey acted as trailblazer for the campaign against revenge porn, making it a felony in 2004. California recently followed suit when Gov. Jerry Brown approved a bill that designated it as misdemeanor offense. Now similar legislation is being drafted in New York, a Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Maryland and abroad.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Kaela Luna Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Kaela Luna has made her TransAngles debut alongside Parker Savage and Harrison Feels in “Jackhammering Kaela.”

Adult Time Marks April Fool's Day With 5 Satirical Releases

Adult Time is marking April Fool’s Day with the release of satirical scenes from five of its series.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

Adult Time Wraps Production on Bree Mills' Feature 'Escape From Camp Conversion'

Adult Time has wrapped production on its latest feature, the Bree Mills-helmed "Escape From Camp Conversion," from its Girlcore studio brand.

Daisy Fox Makes Her TeamSkeet Debut

Daisy Fox makes her TeamSkeet debut in the latest episode of the studio series "She's New," titled "A Foxy Little Newcomer," with Nicky Rebel.

Elizabeth Skylar Performs Her 1st B/B/G in Latest From New Sensations

Elizabeth Skylar has performed her first B/B/G in the latest scene from New Sensations, with Codey Steele and Milan Ponjevic.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

Lynna Nilsson Fronts Latest From Immoral Productions

Lynna Nilsson performs her first DVP in a new trilogy from Immoral Productions, alongside Matt Bird and Brad Knight.

Anna Claire Clouds: From Nashville to XMA Gold

The photo shoot is going great. Anna Claire Clouds knows all her angles. The moment the cap comes off the camera lens, Clouds tilts her head just so and deploys her signature dreamy eyes with all controls set to “smoldering.” Girl knows what she’s doing.

Show More