Facebook Reveals "Not Without My Consent" Program In Full Effect

Today a new program from Facebook was released in order to combat the sharing of intimate images without shared consent. This is sometimes referred to as "revenge porn" and it's become a major problem across all forms of social media in the past half-decade. Today Facebook's pilot program revealed over a year and a half ago live in a new security-aimed hub called "Not without my consent."

This program works in two ways, both ways having to do with machine learning and image recognition. Both of these ways use "intimate" images (or otherwise inappropriate for public consumption) to identify future postings and/or sharing of said images. This program is now live on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. WhatsApp is not part of this program at this time.

SEE THE START: Facebook has a surprisingly good reason to see your personal photos

Those affected by this issue can head to the Not Without My Consent hub (on Facebook), a part of Facebook's Safety Center. There's also a direct path to the report form titled "Report Blackmail, Intimate Images or Threats to Share Intimate Images." That one works on Facebook specifically, and is also accessible on each individual post.

If you see an image on Facebook of yourself or someone you know that you're certain shouldn't be posted on the internet, tap the arrow in the upper right-hand corner. The arrow should show a menu of options, one of which will be "Report this image." Tap that link and go forth and report.

The first step you should take before you do anything else is to take screenshot(s) of the offending material. After taking screenshots, report the material, and contact local law enforcement if you're concerned for anyone's safety, be it yourself or someone you know. Additional resources can be found on this Facebook safety page, with links to the YWCA Canada, Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, and the National Network to End Domestic Violence.