Attorney General And Tech Firms Collaborate To End Cyber Exploitation
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has debuted a new initiative to combat revenge porn, the state Department of Justice announced at a press conference Wednesday. The program’s centerpiece is an online resource hub for victims, law enforcement and the technology industry.
At the conference, Harris emphasized the need to prevent more victims from suffering the lasting damage of what she describes as “cyber exploitation.”
“The term ‘revenge porn’ is misleading, because these victims are not engaged in pornography,” she said. “They describe losing job opportunities, having to reconsider their businesses and especially the businesses they may have at home.”
Harris has already established a hard line against purveyors of web-based crime in California. In 2011, she created the Department of Justice’s eCrime Unit, a division devoted to the investigation and prosecution of cyber criminals. Last year, her office spearheaded investigations leading to the country’s first convictions for operating or posting to such websites--and two bills sponsored by Harris on cyber exploitation have crossed the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown already this year.
Still, the project unveiled on Wednesday is the first of its kind. That’s partly because the team behind it includes some rather unique MVPs: leaders from the tech industry, including behemoths such as Facebook, Twitter and Google. In addition to collaborating with the DOJ on preventing cyber exploitation, they also outlined industry best practices to be placed on the initiative’s website.
John Doherty, Vice President of State Policy and General Counsel at Microsoft’s Technet, commended the attorney general’s work. “TechNet applauds Attorney General Kamala Harris' efforts to crack down on cyber exploitation, which violates a victim on a deeply personal and private level. We’re proud that the technology industry has come together in support of this important issue to provide victims an avenue of protection,” Doherty said.
