Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill Empowering Victims of Porn Industry Exploitation to Sue Host Websites

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) co-sponsored the Survivors of Human Trafficking Fight Back Act to create a private cause of action allowing victims of rape and sex trafficking, as well as individuals whose intimate images are distributed without their consent, to sue pornographic websites that profit off their exploitation.

"Pornographic websites routinely post videos of women who are the victims of abuse or exploitation, and it is past time these companies are held accountable for posting this disgusting content," said Senator Tillis. "I am proud to co-introduce this legislation with Senator Hawley that would allow the victims of these videos to sue pornographic websites for distributing and profiting from videos that are posted without consent."

Background

The Survivors of Human Trafficking Fight Back Act would:

Criminalize the knowing distribution of visual depictions of forced or coerced sex acts.
Criminalize the knowing, nonconsensual distribution of depictions of sex acts ("revenge porn"), as well as privacy-invading "locker-room" images.
Require all websites hosting pornography to create notice and takedown procedures ensuring that victims of coerced or privacy-invading videos can promptly have their images removed from the internet.
Allow victims to sue websites that knowingly host depictions of forced sex acts or that distribute privacy-invading images and videos.

Source