Personal privacy is hard to come by in this very connected world. Many people share details about their daily lives online through social media. Even people who don’t personally post much content online could have their stories or images shared by others.
Having a friend post an embarrassing picture from a college party years later could lead to social and professional consequences in some cases. More recent images, videos and stories can also turn up when co-workers or prospective employers search a professional’s name online.
Occasionally, the conduct of others can raise real privacy concerns, especially in cases where people engage in revenge posting with the intent of harming someone else. In some situations, people may need to take legal action to assert their privacy and address inappropriate online content.
The law protects the right to privacy
People have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their own homes and other private spaces. They also have an expectation of privacy when they share personal images with others or allow people to take their pictures. Particularly when it comes to intimate videos or photographs, express consent from all involved parties is typically necessary for the legal sharing of those videos or images.
If one party attempts to share private content online with the intent of embarrassing the other party or harming their reputation, legal action may be appropriate. State statutes make it a criminal offense to distribute intimate images or videos without the express consent of the other party.
In some cases, state authorities may bring charges against the party who shared content online if the victim in the situation brings the matter to the attention of the right authorities. Other times, it may be possible to take legal action by filing a civil lawsuit in response to the inappropriate sharing of private images or videos.
People can ask the courts to intervene and order the removal of the images or videos. They can request an injunction preventing future sharing of the same or similar content. They can also potentially recoup monetary damages for the harm that the violation of their privacy rights has generated.
Documenting an invasion of privacy involving revenge postings can help people assert their privacy rights and hold the other party accountable. Timely action can help people protect their reputations and assert their right to privacy.