Regardless of your feelings about Anthony Weiner and his evolving sexting story, the reality is that he’s hardly alone out there. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, six percent of adults 18 and older have sent a sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude image to someone else by text.
Weiner’s celebrity as a congressman leant a virality to his sexts because his high profile made him easy to recognize. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen to you. A jealous ex-boyfriend could post pictures of you out of revenge, or someone working in your home or on your computer could find that video you made with your spouse that was supposed to remain private, and next thing you know, you’re the new Internet star.
What makes these scenarios scarier are the advances being made in face recognition technology. Facebook has already demonstrated this capability on a mass consumer basis, and it would only be a small step to put a name with any face in a photo that’s been leaked.
So what can you do if you find yourself in a Weiner-like position?
Michael Fertik, Founder of Reputation.com, is in the business of helping people clean up Weiner-like messes. Once a photo is released, he says, it’s rare for photos to pop up on more than two or three sites. On this scale, you can always request that a photo be taken down from a site.
In rare cases, Fertik has had clients with a photo that has been posted to more than 2,000 sites, but he classifies that as exceptional. And usually that’s because someone with malicious intent is actively spreading the photo. If your photo has reached these whack-a-mole proportions, with it popping up everywhere, a service like MyReputation ($129 per year) can help eradicate them.
Fertik also points out that the most likely scenarios are people inadvertently sharing photo themselves, a friend sharing a photo or someone being in an image just because they happen to be on the scene. Of course the last doesn’t apply to naughty photos, but could for other compromising situations.
So if you’re insistent on sharing photos with your friends, is there anything you do to prevent your photos from leaking? Fertik says, “Nothing. Any photo you take and post will be leaked and archived somewhere.” You can minimize your risks by using software that lets you track and delete your photos. For Facebook there’s the UProtectIt plug-in for Firefox or Chrome web browsers. It enables you to authorize people to view photos you upload and revoke authorization at any time. If your thing is naughty texts (Weiner, take notice), there’s TigerText, which lets you time out a text or delete it.
Finally, don’t think his advice doesn’t apply to you. “Just because you’re a decent person and living a decent life, that doesn’t mean the Internet reflects that,” warns Fertik.
i told them they can take my shit. really they are just small dirty idiots.
From Kris Plotner on June 17, 2011 :: 9:02 am
I can tell you a for sure way to make sure that you naughty pictures do not appear anywhere. Don’t take them in the first place. People are SICK and when they do things like this (behind closed doors or not) are just asking for trouble - sorry, you take/record/store it anywhere, it’s bound to get out whether by your say so or not, it’s out there. Gross.
Reply
From Joe on June 21, 2011 :: 8:51 am
Since when did adult activities in private become sick? And recording them? How is this sick?
Reply
From Mike sic means cool on August 01, 2019 :: 2:27 am
Sic means cool the new slang
Reply
From nancy humphrys on June 21, 2011 :: 1:45 pm
Don’t think you’re protected from video survelliance freaks just cause you have some years on you. I was subjected to video survelliance and then facebook pictures…it takes a good internet rep service to get this stuff off… how sick this survelliance culture
is and how quickly it can ruin your reputation when people think you put the content up yourself.
Reply
From Say Wha on June 21, 2011 :: 3:27 pm
@Kris Plotner: Unless you happen to live in a convent or monastery, you might consider reexamining your attitudes about sex. You sound comically uptight.
(@Joe: +1)
Reply