FTC Rules 'Revenge Porn' Operator Must Get Consent Before Posting Nude Photos
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- The Federal Trade Commission has ruled the man who ran a so-called "revenge porn" website out of Colorado Springs can no longer share those photos without consent.
Craig Brittain ran highly controversial sites that showed nude and explicit pictures of women - many from Colorado - who didn't consent to their private photos being displayed.
"All of the personal information, intimate photos of their lives that were up, he is required to take it down, to destroy all of that information," said attorney Andy Contiguglia.
RELATED STORY: 'Revenge Porn' Website Has Colorado Women Outraged
With the FTC ruling, Brittain can no longer share those photos or videos of people without their consent.
In February and March 2013, a series of CBS4 Investigations revealed Brittain was the man behind the Colorado Springs based revenge porn website that was procuring explicit photos, primarily of women, and then displaying them publicly. The CBS4 Investigations revealed that Brittain was masquerading as a woman to trick other women into sending him revealing photos, that he then put on his site.
Brittain estimated he had procured private photos of more than 700 women but the FTC said it was closer to 1,000.
According to the FTC ruling, "In addition to collecting and posting the images himself, Brittain solicited viewers of his site to anonymously submit nude photos of people to his site, according to the complaint. He required submissions to include sensitive personal information about the people in the photos, including their full name, town and state, phone number and Facebook profile."
"It puts all these other revenge porn operators on notice that the FTC is going to come after you, too, and start bringing these types of cases against you, too," said Contiguglia.
Brittain also offered a fake takedown service that charged hundreds of dollars to remove the photos.
"This behavior is not only illegal but reprehensible," said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "I am pleased that as a result of this settlement, the illegally collected images and information will be deleted, and this individual can never return to the so-called 'revenge porn' business."
If Brittain violates the order, he could incur fines of up to $16,000 per violation, per day.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: FTC Ruling Documents
