Supreme Court Could Rule on Whether 'Revenge Porn' Is Protected Speech

Supreme Court Could Rule on Whether 'Revenge Porn' Is Protected Speech

LOS ANGELES — The United States Supreme Court may soon rule on the constitutionality of revenge porn law.

In a Washington Post article published yesterday, the case of Bethany Austin was discussed. Austin, an Illinois resident, was charged with the felony of "nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images" by an Illinois court. She had discovered her fiance had cheated on her, and after the fiance attempted to paint her as "crazy," she sent both of their families four pages of text messages between her fiance and his lover. The pages also included nude pictures of the woman the fiance had been cheating with.

Austin challenged the ruling on the grounds that Illinois' revenge porn law was an unconstitutional restriction of her freedom of speech. 

Two years after being charged, the original trial court dismissed the charge against Austin. The Illinois Supreme Court, however, reversed the ruling, and the charge was reinstated. In a 5-2 ruling, the court decided that the law meant to protect the privacy of the victim could not be constitutionally protected free speech.

"Viewed as a privacy regulation, [the law] is similar to laws prohibiting the unauthorized disclosure of other forms of private information, such as medical records, biometric data or Social Security numbers," the higher court said in its ruling. "The entire field of privacy law is based on the recognition that some types of information are more sensitive than others, the disclosure of which can and should be regulated."

Austin's attorney, Igor Bozic, has asked for a stay on the Illinois Supreme Court ruling while he files a petition for a writ of certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

"It covers the woman who reacts to an unwanted sexual text message by showing a friend," Bozic wrote. "It covers the woman who tries to deter that toxic behavior by forwarding the unsolicited image to the sender’s mother or girlfriend… And, of course, it gives controlling men — like Bethany Austin’s ex-fiancé — yet another legal tool for victimizing their intimate partners."

The Post spoke with Northwestern University law professor Andrew Koppelman, who wrote a law review article on the constitutionality of revenge porn laws which have now been passed in 46 states and the District of Columbia. He said that because the Illinois statute specifically mentions that the law is broken when the person disseminating the images knows that the person photographed did not give consent, it's not protected speech.

"There’s no good reason to construe free speech to protect malicious people who want to hurt people unless there’s no way to draw a line," Koppelman said. "The Illinois statute shows there is a sensible way to draw a line."

Image: US Bureau of Land Management

Copyright © 2024 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

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

AEBN Publishes Popular Seraches by Country for September, October

AEBN has released its list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Avery Jane Featured on 'Adult Time Podcast'

Avery Jane is the latest guest on the “Adult Time Podcast,” hosted by studio CCO Bree Mills.

FSC: Kansas Law Firm Threatens Adult Site Over Age Verification

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has been notified that Kansas law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley has sent a letter threatening an adult website with a lawsuit for breaking the state's age verification law.

10th Circuit Rejects Final FSC Appeal in Utah AV Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Monday rejected a motion by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) requesting that the full court rehear its appeal in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the industry trade association’s challenge to Utah’s age verification law.

Trump Nominates Project 2025 Contributor, Section 230 Foe to Chair FCC

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, as his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr — an author of Project 2025 who has called for gutting Section 230 protections.

Streamate's Elevate Partners With Miss Mei on Decriminalization Initiative

Streamate’s Elevate initiative is debuting a November collaboration with creator and community advocate Miss Mei that will highlight the modern criminalization of sex work.

Show More