A group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday said they would propose a draft bill that would introduce punishments of up to 12 years in prison for circulating revenge porn.
Speaking at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said that she provides legal advice in her local offices and she often receives reports of intimate photographs being circulated.
In many cases, students who were the target of such leaks were unable to continue their studies due to the emotional toll, Su said.
Photo: Su Fang-ho, Taipei Times
She said that under current legislation, there is little that lawyers can do for their clients.
Since 2013, 10 countries — including Japan, South Korea, the US, Canada and the UK — have enacted laws or added special provisions to their criminal laws to handle cases in which sexually explicit photographs or videos are published without consent, DPP Legislator Chen Lai Su-mei (陳賴素美) said.
Proposing laws to deter new forms of criminal behavior in response to technological developments is the global trend, Chen Lai added.
According to the draft bill, contraventions of sexual privacy would be punishable by one to three years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$150,000.
Intentional circulation of sexually explicit images or videos for the purpose of revenge would be punishable by three to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$200,000, the draft says.
Using the possession of sexually explicit images or videos to threaten or endanger the life, body, freedom, reputation or property of another person would be punishable by five to 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$300,000, it says.
The draft also stipulates that when handling cases involving sexual content, the judicial agency must protect the anonymity of the victim and media cannot reveal the victim’s identity, to prevent more people from searching for the content out of curiosity, DPP Legislator Lu Sun-ling (呂孫綾) said.
The bill would also regulate online platforms, requiring operators to remove sexually explicit content at victims’ requests or be held jointly liable, Lu said.
Online platform operators and telecoms would need to remove photographs and videos within 24 hours of receiving a victim’s request, Su said.
The draft act would also punish people who merely share sexual content that they have not produced themselves without consent, she said.
The bill could not regulate content that is posted onto Web sites based in other countries, but meetings could be held to discuss ways to address the issue, Su said.
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