Salon.com > Sexting http://www.salon.com Wed, 30 May 2012 06:12:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 How to protect your naked photos http://www.salon.com/2011/09/16/scar_jo/ http://www.salon.com/2011/09/16/scar_jo/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:20:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life//feature/2011/09/15/scar_jo It isn't just Scarlett Johansson and other recently exposed celebrities and politicians who should be concerned about protecting their naughty cellphone snapshots. The FBI may be investigating hacks of roughly 50 celebrities, but many more ordinary folks have had their naked photos hacked and stolen within the past year. So, how do you protect yourself?

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/09/16/scar_jo/feed/ 34 Anthony Weiner: What the hell was that? http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/weiner_breitbart_press_conference/ http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/weiner_breitbart_press_conference/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:38:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2011/06/06/weiner_breitbart_press_conference As I always say, never trust anything you see on an Andrew Breitbart-published site until it's confirmed by a third party. And ... Anthony Weiner helpfully confirmed that BigGovernment.com has been mostly right about him, in a bizarre press conference late this afternoon. Long story short, despite the fact that it seemed exceedingly unlikely that the congressman was sending dirty pictures of himself to random women he only knew via Twitter, that is, apparently, a thing he enjoys doing. It is a thing he has done with "around six women," none of whom he met in person, both before and during his marriage.

And who am I to judge? (I am a blogger.) If Anthony Weiner is cybersexing and phone-sexing with women across the nation, that is his god-given right as an American.

The press conference itself was a perfectly insane cap to a week of increasingly bizarre stories. It began when Breitbart ... crashed it, and yelled about Salon.com and Joan Walsh for a while. Why was he there and who allowed him to speak? Does Weiner even have a staff, anymore? (Andrew: You will get no apology from us -- or from me at least! -- because sometimes even complete frauds get lucky. I don't apologize to Glenn Beck the twice a year he's right about something, either.) It ended with someone from Howard Stern's show asking Weiner if he was "fully erect" as the weepy congressman exited the room. In the middle, Weiner cried, said he was stupid, and admitted he lied. As Choire Sicha noted, his wife was nowhere to be seen.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/weiner_breitbart_press_conference/feed/ 102 New York’s ironic teen “sexting” law http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/new_york_sexting_law_weiner/ http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/new_york_sexting_law_weiner/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2011/06/06/new_york_sexting_law_weiner New York lawmakers are trying to advance a bill that would create an "educational reform" program for teenagers who get in trouble for "sexting," the Wall Street Journal reports. Amidst Weinergate, it's hard to ignore the irony that New York's politicians seem in as much need of "sexting" education as its young people.

The "Cyber Crime Youth Rescue Act" would give prosecutors and judges a more lenient option for dealing with minors accused of using their phones, email or social networking platforms to distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of themselves or friends (which could constitute child pronography if minors are featured).

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/06/06/new_york_sexting_law_weiner/feed/ 1 Why do men take crotch shots? http://www.salon.com/2011/06/02/crotch_shot/ http://www.salon.com/2011/06/02/crotch_shot/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:06:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life//feature/2011/06/02/crotch_shot We don't know whether we've all seen Rep. Anthony Weiner's wiener -- and, apparently, neither does he. What we do know, though, is that the schlong shot is having its day.

Before the New York congressman's Twitter scandal, there were of course the Brett Favre and Kanye West incidents -- but you need only go as far as Craigslist's casual encounters, Chatroulette or certain 20-something dudes' iPhones for proof that it isn't just male celebrities who are ready for their crotch close-up. It's often intended as a come-on, but the common response from women -- particularly when it is unsolicited  -- is, "Ew, gross."

So: What's with the penis pics?

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/06/02/crotch_shot/feed/ 82 Right-wingers really, really, really hoping Anthony Weiner story holds up http://www.salon.com/2011/05/31/weiner_goldberg/ http://www.salon.com/2011/05/31/weiner_goldberg/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 19:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2011/05/31/weiner_goldberg It is certainly possible that Representative Anthony Weiner sexted a young woman who lives in Washington state. My own theory, based primarily on the fact that the only person who seemed to notice the Tweet supposedly sent by Weiner was a creepy right-winger who is obsessed with the New York Democrat, is that one or more of the congressman's social networking profiles were phished or otherwise compromised, as he says. But I could be wrong! (I'm also inclined to believe that if Weiner were sending inappropriate photos to young women, he'd send them directly and not via a public photo-sharing site. But politicians do dumb things!)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/05/31/weiner_goldberg/feed/ 74 We have no one to blame for celebrity hackers but ourselves http://www.salon.com/2011/03/18/celebrity_hackers_tmz_vanessa_hudgens/ http://www.salon.com/2011/03/18/celebrity_hackers_tmz_vanessa_hudgens/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:19:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/feature/2011/03/18/celebrity_hackers_tmz_vanessa_hudgens When naked photos of Vanessa Hudgens began surfacing on the Internet in 2009, the "Beastly" star sued the website that posted them, MoeJackson.com, claiming the photos were obtained by "unknown methods."  Which at the time, didn't strike anyone as particularly odd: Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, and Demi Lovato have all had friends or acquaintances leak photos of the stars either nude or posing suggestively. But this week even more photos of the young actress were being shopped around the Internet -- strangely, not even TMZ was tempted to buy them -- and were taken from the same batch as the originals.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/03/18/celebrity_hackers_tmz_vanessa_hudgens/feed/ 27 How to fix “sexting” laws http://www.salon.com/2011/03/15/sexting_2/ http://www.salon.com/2011/03/15/sexting_2/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:28:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life//feature/2011/03/15/sexting I just recently performed an archaeological dig on my childhood closet, which has been perfectly preserved in the state it was in when I flew the nest. Amid all the empty bottles of Smirnoff Ice and aimlessly doodled-on binders, I found a stockpile of what might be referred to in court as "child pornography" -- but it was self-made with my high school boyfriend. The first thought I had when I saw the images -- black-and-white printouts from a webcam -- was how sweet the shots were, despite being mildly explicit. Here were two teenagers safely and lovingly exploring their bodies and sexualities -- and because the images were kept strictly for our eyes only, they maintained that innocence.

That's why I'm encouraged by news that late yesterday New Jersey approved a bill that would allow teenagers caught "sexting" to avoid being prosecuted as child pornographers. The bill is based on the wacky notion that teens shouldn't be labeled as sex offenders for the rest of their lives for taking dirty self-portraits, or possessing X-rated photos of their sweetheart who, in many cases, they are legally allowed to have sex with. (Although, that was not the case for me, as the age of consent in California is 18. Whoops.) This measure is a great step toward a saner adult attitude toward teen sexuality, and other states should look to it as a blueprint. But there's also room for improvement.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/03/15/sexting_2/feed/ 34 NFL fines Favre $50,000 for “failure to cooperate” http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation_1/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation_1/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:31:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation_1 The NFL has fined Brett Favre $50,000 for a "failure to cooperate" with the investigation into allegations he sent inappropriate messages and lewd photos to a former New York Jets game-day hostess.

The league says Commissioner Roger Goodell "could not conclude" that Favre violated the league's personal conduct policy based on the evidence currently available.

The league's statement also says Goodell determined Favre was "not candid in several respects during the investigation resulting in a longer review and additional negative public attention for Favre, (Jenn) Sterger and the NFL." The league's investigation began in October and the fine was announced Wednesday.

Favre allegedly sent messages and photos to Sterger two years ago when they were both with the Jets. The allegations against the 41-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback surfaced on the website Deadspin.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brett Favre will be fined but not suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after the league's investigation into allegations he sent inappropriate messages and lewd photos to a former New York Jets game hostess, The Associated Press has learned.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation_1/feed/ 10 Source: NFL to fine Favre for sexting http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:12:33 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation Brett Favre will be fined but not suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after the league's investigation into allegations he sent inappropriate messages and lewd photos to a former New York Jets game hostess, The Associated Press has learned.

A person familiar with the decision says the league plans to announce its decision within the next 48 hours. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the NFL had not yet released its decision.

The person did not specify what the league found in its investigation.

The punishment was first reported by Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.

Favre allegedly sent the messages and photos to Jenn Sterger two years ago when they were both with the Jets in 2008. The allegations against the 41-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback surfaced in October on the website Deadspin.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/12/29/fbn_favre_investigation/feed/ 4 Alleged Favre target hires legal counsel http://www.salon.com/2010/10/20/fbn_nfl_favre_sterger/ http://www.salon.com/2010/10/20/fbn_nfl_favre_sterger/#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:28:30 +0000 http://www.salon.com/sports/feature/2010/10/20/fbn_nfl_favre_sterger The ex-New York Jets employee involved in the allegation against Brett Favre has hired a lawyer.

Former Jets game emcee Jenn Sterger has hired the Long Island-based law firm of LaRusso and Conway to advise her throughout the process. Sterger's manager Phil Reese says Wednesday the decision was made "after much deliberation."

Lawyer Joseph Conway said Wednesday his firm will advise Sterger "and pursue any potential remedies that may exist." Conway declined to comment further.

Favre spoke with an NFL security official Tuesday about graphic photos and inviting messages he allegedly sent to Sterger two years ago when they were both with the Jets.

Sterger has not commented on the website Deadspin's report.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/10/20/fbn_nfl_favre_sterger/feed/ 3 Forget trying to censor teen “sexting” http://www.salon.com/2010/10/14/sexting_censors/ http://www.salon.com/2010/10/14/sexting_censors/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet//2010/10/14/sexting_censors The Wall Street Journal's numbers-heavy piece today on "the texting revolution" beautifully underscores the absurdity of Apple's newly-approved patent for what is being widely referred to as "anti-sexting" software. "The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month -- more than 100 per day," according to the article. Parents can learn two things from this: 1.) For the love of your checkbook, go for the plan with unlimited texts, and 2.) All attempts at censoring kids' fast-finger-talking are futile.

The patent is more generally for software that filters "inappropriate" content, and this includes a "parental control application" that "evaluates whether or not the communication contains approved text based on, for example, objective ratings criteria or a user's age or grade level, and, if unauthorized, prevents such text from being included in the text-based communication." The program can then tattle on the teen whenever it comes across "unauthorized" content. It sounds a whole lot like Web monitoring software that supposedly keeps kids from finding porn or talking to pervy strangers online.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/10/14/sexting_censors/feed/ 33 “Sexting” D.A. to resign http://www.salon.com/2010/09/27/kratz/ http://www.salon.com/2010/09/27/kratz/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:26:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet//2010/09/27/kratz Top Republican prosecutor Ken Kratz is stepping down. It seems sending text message come-ons to a domestic abuse victim and a woman seeking his support in a drug charge pardon, and allegedly inviting a woman to an autopsy -- for a date -- has finally caught up to him. The Calumet County district attorney plans to resign by the beginning of October, when a removal hearing is scheduled, his attorney announced Monday. Basically, Kratz, who is already on indefinite paid medical leave, is taking off before Gov. Jim Doyle gets a chance to kick him out. Well played, sir, well played.

A question remains, however: Why did the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which knew about Kratz's text messages to the domestic abuse victim, clear him without even an interview?

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/09/27/kratz/feed/ 3 Craigslist takes down adult services http://www.salon.com/2010/09/04/us_craigslist_adult_services/ http://www.salon.com/2010/09/04/us_craigslist_adult_services/#comments Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/09/04/us_craigslist_adult_services Craigslist has apparently closed the adult services section of its website, two weeks after 17 state attorneys general demanded it shut down the section.

The section had been replaced Saturday by a black and while "censored" logo.

Craigslist did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, one of the AGs who pressed for the change, said in a written statement that he welcomed the change and was trying to verify Craigslist's official policy going forward.

He said if it was doing the right thing voluntarily in response to the AGs, it could set a good example for others.

In an Aug. 24 letter, the state attorneys general said Craigslist should remove the section because it couldn't adequately block potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/09/04/us_craigslist_adult_services/feed/ 32 Feds: Teen ‘sextortion’ rising http://www.salon.com/2010/08/14/us_sextortion_teens/ http://www.salon.com/2010/08/14/us_sextortion_teens/#comments Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:55:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/08/14/us_sextortion_teens The nightmare began with a party: three teenage girls with a webcam, visiting an Internet chatroom and yielding to requests to flash their breasts. A week later, one of the girls, a 17-year-old from Indiana, started getting threatening e-mails.

A stranger said he had captured her image on the webcam and would post the pictures to her MySpace friends unless she posed for more explicit pictures and videos for him. On at least two occasions, the teen did what her blackmailer demanded. Finally, police and federal authorities became involved and indicted a 19-year-old Maryland man in June on charges of sexual exploitation.

Federal prosecutors and child safety advocates say they're seeing an upswing in such cases of online sexual extortion. They say teens who text nude cell phone photos of themselves or show off their bodies on the Internet are being contacted by pornographers who threaten to expose their behavior to friends and family unless they pose for more explicit porn, creating a vicious cycle of exploitation.

One federal affidavit includes a special term for the crime: "sextortion."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/08/14/us_sextortion_teens/feed/ 11 Bill Bennett will save our children from “sexting” http://www.salon.com/2010/08/12/bennett_sexting_crusade/ http://www.salon.com/2010/08/12/bennett_sexting_crusade/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2010/08/12/bennett_sexting_crusade Former education secretary, drug czar, and gambling addict Bill Bennett has set his sights on the single greatest threat to our children today: Sexting.

Did you know that literally every child in the nation is "sexting" nude pictures of themselves to other children at this very moment? Thankfully, Bennett's new business partners have finally come up with a solution to this epidemic of digital immorality. All you have to do is pay Bennett between $13.00 and $25.00 a month for access to a web service that will monitor who your children are sexting with and alert you if they use sexy words in their text messages.

The site is called "MouseMail.com," and the logo is this super-cool tween mouse that looks all sassy and is holding a soccer ball, because the kids these days play soccer.

Apparently you set up your MouseMail account and then approve a contacts list for your child, to make sue that sexual predators and that harlot down the block are not emailing your child without your permission. Here is how it works: MouseMail intercepts messages "deemed inappropriate" and sends them to the parent for approval before the child receives them. It also will somehow stop "cyber bullying."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/08/12/bennett_sexting_crusade/feed/ 41 Cartoon: The first sext http://www.salon.com/2010/05/01/eckstein_first_sext/ http://www.salon.com/2010/05/01/eckstein_first_sext/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 00:15:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/ent/entertainment/comics/feature/2010/04/30/eckstein_first_sext

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/05/01/eckstein_first_sext/feed/ 14 The new face of teen “sexting” http://www.salon.com/2010/03/22/sexting_new_york_times/ http://www.salon.com/2010/03/22/sexting_new_york_times/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet//2010/03/22/sexting_new_york_times A couple of things struck me about Sunday's front-page New York Times article on teen "sexting." There was the fact that, minus a recent court ruling, the lengthy piece simply rehashes previous reportage (and there has been lots, including by yours truly) on the sticky legal issues surrounding teens, sex and technology. But long before I came to that realization, the photo accompanying the piece had me screeching to a halt: Behold 15-year-old Marissa Miller, who was threatened by a Pennsylvania district attorney with child pornography charges over a cellphone snapshot showing her in a bra at age 12. There she is, one of these much-discussed "sexting" teens, in the flesh -- in the New York Times. 

She may be shown in perfectly modest attire while sitting on her bed, but, as a friend wrote to me in an e-mail, "All I could think was, wow, Miller family, all the readers of the New York Times just imagined your 15-year-old girl naked." Indeed, the photo caption reminds readers of "the image of a scantily dressed" Miller. How brave of her, I thought, but my misgivings were quick to follow: Does she really want to be the face of "sexting"? Might this end up being just another photographic regret? 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/03/22/sexting_new_york_times/feed/ 15 Before you sext: MTV’s crowdsourcing app http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/mtv_over_the_line_sexting/ http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/mtv_over_the_line_sexting/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:08:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet//2010/03/17/mtv_over_the_line_sexting Yesterday, MTV launched a crowdsourcing app called "Over the Line?" to help youngsters determine which digital behaviors are over, on or under "the line." It's all part of the network's "A Thin Line" campaign -- they're really into this "line" idea -- which highlights the particular dangers that arise when technology meets flirtation, sex, jealousy and bullying (which is to say, basically everything that defines the typical high school experience). It's a crucial issue, given the handful of recent stories linking various types of digital humiliations to teen suicides and the growing number of "sexting" teens being charged as child pornographers -- but I wonder, will it do any good?

The basic concept behind the app is that MTV-viewers submit personal stories about walking that aforementioned thin line and then random Web surfers comment on and rate the relative outrageousness of the stories. For example, an anonymous poster writes: "i just got involved with someone and i really like them alot...but they are in a relationship with someone..and now they asked me to send some nude pics." In response, another anonymous user says, "Can't trust them. If they're asking for nude pics while they're in a relationship how can you trust them to ever stay faithful to anyone?" Wise words, Anonymous, wise words. But then another commenter chimes in: "send the damn pic, dont be a negative nancy."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/mtv_over_the_line_sexting/feed/ 2 Court: D.A. can’t bring “sexting” charges http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/us_sexting_lawsuit/ http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/us_sexting_lawsuit/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:37:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/2010/03/17/us_sexting_lawsuit A federal appeals court has ruled that a Pennsylvania prosecutor may not pursue felony charges against a teenage girl in a "sexting" case.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in a criminal case involving the pervasive problem in which teens exchange sexually explicit photos and e-mails on their cell phones.

The case involved a photo showing a topless 16-year-old stepping out of the shower. A district attorney in northeastern Pennsylvania had threatened the teen with prosecution unless she attended an education class. She refused.

The appeals court says the Wyoming County district attorney may not retaliate by bringing criminal charges against the teen.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/03/17/us_sexting_lawsuit/feed/ 14 Teens not so “sext” crazy http://www.salon.com/2009/12/15/sexting_teens_3/ http://www.salon.com/2009/12/15/sexting_teens_3/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet//feature/2009/12/15/sexting_teens It turns out teens today are not -- I repeat, not -- going to hell in a hand-basket. Or, at least, far fewer of them than expected are headed there for the sin of "sexting," according to a new survey. The Pew Research Center conducted a phone and paper survey of 800 teenagers and found that only 4 percent report having sent "sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images" to someone via text message, and 15 percent have received X-rated cellphone snapshots.

Compare that to an online survey published earlier this year by CosmoGirl.com and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy which found that 20 percent of teens have "sexted." At the time, I wrote about the research and noted that although voluntary polls tend to be self-selecting, "the results seem obvious, maybe even understated" -- because, hey, I still vividly remember what it was like being post-pubescent with access to the Internet and all manner of new technology. According to the Pew study, though, teenagers must be far less pervy and far more well-behaved than they were back in my day.

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