A 2017 study from the Center for Innovative Public Health Research found that 1 in 25 Americans say they’ve been confronted and/or threatened with revenge porn, with LGBTQ people being the most targeted group of victims. 15% of LGBTQ people reported being threatened with revenge porn, and 7% reported having the threat carried out.
MaleGeneral is a revenge porn site that encourages users to share x-rated photos of random guys, boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, Grindr hookups, et cetera that were never intended for public consumption. Many of the photos also include detailed personal information about the men, including their full names and social media accounts.
Though the website does accept takedown requests, it doesn’t make it easy for people. First, it requires them to identify themselves by submitting a photo holding a sign with their personal information on it. If they get the sign wrong in any way, the site uses the submitted photo to further shame the victim.
Horrible, right? But wait. It gets worse.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Related: When it comes to ‘revenge pr0n,’ LGBTQ people are the hardest hit
People who submit takedown requests are referred to as “turds,” “idiots,” and “morons.” And those who don’t follow all of MaleGeneral’s very specific instructions for submitting a takedown request risk having their names and contact information published on the site.
Isn’t this, like, illegal? you wonder.
It is and it isn’t. 38 states have outlawed revenge porn, or the sharing of nonconsensual pornography with the intent to harm, but Congress has yet to criminalize it nationally.
“It is possible that posting these images may be a criminal offense under the so-called ‘Revenge Porn’ law,” Alex Haydock, a legal assistant at Open Rights Group, tells Dazed, “but that would require intent to cause the victim distress, which is difficult to prove.”
“Laws around harassment and copyright may apply in some circumstances, but this still leaves some room for people to share explicit images without permission.”
One man by the name of Jack says he was horrified when he found his private photos on MaleGeneral.
“I was disgusted,” he recalls. “I was never ashamed because I knew a lot of people do send photos like that, it was just unfortunate it was me that all this happened to.”
Jack says the site can also be dangerous for minors.
“I actually saw a post of a guy who was under the age of 18,” he says. “I didn’t know who it was. A comment was posted anonymously which said ‘Delete this quick, he isn’t of age’, so that alone shows teens are also involved.”
Related: Man Contemplates Sleeping With Cheating Ex’s Brother In An Act Of Revenge
h/t: Dazed
JaredMacBride
Nice ad for MaleGeneral.
Nowuvedoneit
I was thinking the same thing, had not heard of it till this handy little ad.
Fakerobot12
pretty much.
Male general isn’t really a revenge porn website. People just post random grindr pictures, gossip, and make general request that never produce anything.
This isn’t even a queerty article…they just linked some other site’s material.
Luc
Yep. First thing I did was go look at the site.
Frank
#1: Educate the men in your life. Talk with other gay men about this!
#2: If there’s a password-protect feature on your computer, applications, photos, etc: use it. And make sure your password isn’t easily guessed. It sounds like a no-brainer, but remember — if a close friend/partner is interested in hacking you, they may be able to guess it if you used, say, an old address or the name of your first pet. There are dozens of online articles listing the most common passwords. Make sure yours isn’t on it.
#3: Delete everything. Purge old emails with attachments to the photos, then be sure to empty the recycle bin.
#4: Consistently update your software. While frequently upgrading your firewalls, operating systems, and antivirus software won’t always outsmart the most technologically savvy of hackers, it will pack a punch against less experienced ones.
#5: Watch for warning signs on your webcam. We all know Skype sessions often go on the fritz, but if your camera is consistently blinking or lighting up for brief or extended periods when not in use, something isn’t right.
#6: If you’re not using your computer, shut it off completely. Nowadays it’s possible for webcam hackers to remotely activate your camera. If your computer isn’t on, you’re less at risk.
#7: Purchase a webcam cover sticker. Post-it Notes are a cheaper option, but they often don’t cover everything fully and can damage the lens of your webcam. Camjamr.com seems to have the most variety and best prices.
#8: Stay off sketchy sites. Be aware that illegal downloading and streaming sites often prompt you to download applications that can sometimes remotely access your computer.
#9: Purchase webcam protection software. This is for the more paranoid among us, a class of which I am admittedly, a member.
#10: If you’ve been hacked, don’t blame yourself. First of all, I am so sorry. Please remember you did nothing to deserve this, you are not at fault, and you are survivor, even if right now you feel like a victim. There are multiple sites for survivors, like withoutmyconsent.org. and endrevengeporn.org. Connect with other survivors and learn about your legal options. The incomparable Charlotte Laws has spoken about copyrighting your photos and images through the US copyright office, as this can make legal loopholes more difficult to wiggle through. It costs around $40. Write to your state representatives. Urge them to take action and review the legislation to reflect the digital age.
ChrisK
I have a desktop that faces my bed. I’ve had partners concerned about the camera on top of the computer. I didn’t realize someone could remote access the camera. Now I’m the paranoid one.
ingyaom
Why promote this site on QUEERTY? I had never heard of it, nor would I look at it. Was this a paid advertisement?
Fakerobot12
It’s not what you think it is. They just post random grindr pictures. no malice.
queerty did it for clicks/traffic.
Frank
4 steps you should take when you’re the victim of revenge porn
1. Report the nonconsensual images to the social media platform where they were posted.
You might be tempted to immediately contact the person responsible for posting your intimate images, but Vora advises against reaching out. Your ex, she says, might try to convince you they’ve been hacked or urge you not to report his behavior to the authorities.
2. Screenshot the images.
Screenshots are a short-term strategy for gathering evidence that you can share with social media companies or the police. In addition to documenting the images themselves, you’ll want to screenshot search engine results of your name and any messages or friend requests you’ve received after the images and your identity were published. Being able to show the negative impact of nonconsensual porn on your reputation and identity can be useful if you want to build a legal case.
3. File a report with the police.
Dozens of states and Washington, D.C., have laws against nonconsensual pornography. Vora recommends filing a police report regardless of whether it’s illegal where you live. In some cases, publishing the images might not be punishable by law, but the behavior involved can qualify as harassment or stalking. The report also creates a paper trail at the outset, and can be useful if you want to file charges or pursue a civil suit.
4. Consider hiring a takedown service to remove your images.
Once images have been posted on social media or to websites, they can quickly spread across the internet, thanks to users who screenshot or download them before the posts have been removed. That can make it exhausting to keep track of where the images appear.
CastleSF
If you voluntarily and foolishly agree to be filmed in compromised positions and later find out your videos have been uploaded to these sleazy web site. you are partially to blame for your indiscretions. Granted, what the other person did is wrong and without your consent, but your reckless behaviors are what puts you in this misery. Say no to anonymous encounters and never allow random guys to film you or take nude photos of you, with your face showing or without. You can be blackmailed at work.
charlie_jackpot
What if it was someone you’ve been dating for ages and they do this to you?
CastleSF
@charlie. Anything can take a turn for the worse but I’ll say that the writing is on the wall the entire time and you just fail to see the shady character of the person you’ve been with. I am not exonerating the other person’s despicable revenge act, but you still have to look at the area where you fail yourself.
medcannabis1
@charlie, if you have been dating them for a while and they conducted themselves like a twit, then I would punch the SOB in the nose and move on.
robert_moore
Here’s a thought. Don’t post pictures you would want to keep from your mum. If someone sends me a dick pic, I might enjoy it, but I shall not reciprocate nor do I ask for them. Call me paranoid, but I think people are putting entirely too much personal stuff on the internet. The internet is not private and not everyone is trustworthy nor does everyone have a strong character or a normal mind.
ChrisK
Most dick pics are fake anyways so not sure how personal it is.
Danny595
It’s part and parcel of a promiscuous life. Your body becomes cheap. Exposing it to strangers becomes no big deal because, after all, you are serving it up to strangers constantly. It’s a miserable way of life with endless consequences. Elevated risk of “revenge porn” victimization is just one of them.
ChrisK
@Danny595. All that babbling just because no one wants to see yours. Tsk tsk.
Curtispsf
@Danny595 – Just another trollish sex negative shaming post from you. But I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by what closet cases post these days. WHY do you hang out on gay sites? Ask your self that question, and then COME OUT COME OUT wherever you are. All your posts are the same.
CastleSF
Please don’t gang up on Danny. Just because he and people like me are straight and narrow, it doesn’t mean we are prudes. We are principled men and we have no desire to lower our standards for how a decent person should live his life in a world that promotes promiscuity.
Danny595
@curtispsf – You will be delighted to know that I am fully out. I have an awesome bf and we have awesome sex. You want sex positivity? Try sex in as an expression of love, in the context of a monogamous relationship. That’s positive. Sex negativity is loveless sex with complete strangers. That renders sex cheap and meaningless. There’s nothing more negative than that.
PinkoOfTheGange
Just 2 questions:
1. is it 1 out of on hundred (7%of 15%)that get posted or 7 out of a hundred?
2. WFT did you post the sites name? Is this an unidentified sponsored post?
Heywood Jablowme
Ah, millennials! The generation of guys who were too scared to take a shower after high school gym class and preferred to go around stinky & sweaty all the rest of the day. But they think it’s perfectly normal to take sexual “private” photos of themselves and their sex partners!
But I do hope Congress will outlaw revenge porn. Why would it be so hard to prove “intent to cause the victim distress”? That seems to be the whole rationale of the site in question. (Do they even make any money? What advertisers could possibly be attracted to a scuzzy site like that?)
Frank
GOSPEL TRUTH about the younger generation…you are receiving a BILLION high fives and a vodka martini from me…
Fakerobot12
Male-general isn’t a revenge porn site… queerty has it all wrong. as usual.
mikeincleveland
People behind this site are making a fast buck right now. They know they’ll get closed down at some point- the rest have – even if it took a while.
Prax07
Thanks for turning me on to this site. I’ll be submitting pics of my narcissist ex later on after I get his picks off from my cloud storage…
Nowuvedoneit
So I went on the site, and it’s a terrible design. Plus if you’re not the white typical gay ideal you have nothing to worry about. Some of what I saw are white Instagram, actors, or models they are looking pics for. So sorry Queerty posters unless you are cute, young, built, white, and have a large enough social media presence, you won’t find yourself on this site.
The audacity of some posters here thinking that their junk would titalate someone enough to post on the web.
ChrisK
Ha. So true. All this concern yet the site is pretty specific on what it carries. Something 98% of us posting today don’t have to worry about. Lol
PinkoOfTheGange
Do they accept Polaroids or stuff on Beta?
No?
Safe.
Fakerobot12
yup. queerty’s just making mountains out of mole hills.
very few threads/requests actually produce any results.
writerguyfl
If your content is posted on this site, skip their procedures and report it to their web host. There’s a decent change that what they are doing is against the terms of service. According to multiple “what company hosts a site” search tools, the site is hosted by OVH Hosting.
But, look that up first before reporting, as the company could change. I believe the site got kicked off their last web host because they failed to follow proper DMCA procedures.
ChrisK
I watched a documentary series on Netflix called the naked truth and one of their shows featured people getting their mugshots posted online by various companies. Unless you pay a huge fee it’s not going to come down.
I don’t think there’s much you can do in this case.
writerguyfl
That’s not an equivalent situation, ChrisK. Mug shots are public documents. Naked pictures are not.
Any US website posting naked pictures of a sexual nature are subject to 18 US Code 2257. Websites are required to have proof of age and/or permission to post those pictures from the legal owner. If a site isn’t complying, it’s in the best interest of the web hosting company to shut the site down.
Danny595
If you click on the link to the study, you see that it deals with the experience of LGB people with revenge porn. It makes no reference to “LGBTQ” or transgenders or “queers.” Malcolm Rhodes deliberately misreports this because it is more important to him to use a bogus initialism that links gay people with transgenderism and “queerness” than it is to report a story accurately.
Heywood Jablowme
Yes ma’am.
DCguy
Does GayCities have a stake in this site? Because the comment stating it’s difficult to prove intent to harm is not true.
If you’re posting private or nude pictures that aren’t of yourself on a public site the courts tend to lean already to the idea that you posted them with the intent to do harm. Additionally if you had a bad breakup, or have any texts that are nasty between you and your ex, you’re toast if they take you to court.
So not sure why Queerty would say that it is difficult?
Luc
If you have been on Tumblr any time in the last few years you’ll know this is a common theme. Your nudes are not sacred, people. No judgment here, I have some too!! Lol. But if you take nudes and share or trade them you need to know that there is a chance they will be traded or posted online. Be as risqué as you want!! I love it. Just don’t be naive about it.
CastleSF
@ Luc. I googled Tumblr and was astounded with the personal stuff they put on the site. Do they have no shame? Those photos can be shown to their family, their neighbors, and their bosses and coworkers? Where is the sense of privacy here?