Facebook is testing a counterintuitive new approach to fighting revenge porn by asking users to voluntarily send in their own nude photos, USA Today reported Wednesday.
Partnering with the Australian government’s eSafety Office, the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant will accept the naked selfies via its Messenger app from persons who fear, for example, that a jilted lover has or is about to share images that are intimate in nature.
“Once Facebook is notified, they use image-matching technology to access and tag the image to prevent anyone from sharing it on their platforms,” USA Today explained. “The measure is designed to block users from sharing a photo before it can do harm.”
The pilot program is also being tested in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, USA Today reported.
Oddly enough, news of this new pilot program comes on the heels of Australian singer Sia taking a similar gambit to ward off greedy paparazzi.
“Someone is apparently trying to sell naked photos of me to my fans,” the pop star tweeted Monday.
“Save your money, here it is for free,” she added, appending a blurry photo of a naked woman shown from the rear, purportedly Sia herself. “Everyday is Christmas!”
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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