This may seem like an obvious one…
It may seem like a clear yes or no, black and white, no grey answers, kind of question, but ask yourself, how many naked pictures have ended up on your phone of people you’ve never met, people who definitely never intended for you to see them naked?
We’re not talking about pornstars here, those who are getting paid for their bodies to be commercialised, we’re talking about people you know, friends of friends, the girl in your year or the guy you recognise vaguely from Coppers- or the total stranger who took a photo sent it to their boyfriend and now it lives in your WhatsApp group.
These nudes do the rounds, in private chats and on sites like 4chan. The internet is heavy with snapchat screenshots of girls, and guys, posing for nude selfies. Some people lay the blame at the feet of the photographer? Why take the image if you aren’t prepared for it to be shared? Why take the risk?
The same question can be asked, why break the trust of someone, if they have trusted you with their body?
But the question we are asking is whether it is whether a nude sent to you is fair game? Once it is on your phone, you have the capability to send that photo anywhere, but do you have the entitlement?
Under Irish law it is not a criminal offence to send on photos or videos, it is however a civil offence, meaning you can be taken to court for damages, for infringing on someone else’s privacy and copyright, but this is rare and a case like it has yet to be brought successfully to court.
If you have an opinion, one that exceeds the narrow reach of the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option, please do leave your own answer.
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