The Urgency of Updating the Criminal Law on Revenge Pornography: Human Rights and Protection of Victims
Keywords:
Revenge porn, Human rights, Victim protection, Regulatory review, Government responseAbstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of revenge porn on victims and highlight the urgency of legal reform to protect victims’ rights and reduce revenge porn cases in Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative method with documentation analysis to assess regulations related to the criminalization of revenge porn in Indonesia, assisted by NVivo 12 Plus software for thematic analysis. This study found that revenge porn has very damaging social and psychological impacts on victims, such as social stigma, isolation, and mental disorders such as depression. A review of regulations in Indonesia shows that there are no specific regulations that deal with revenge porn, so perpetrators often escape strict punishment. Regulatory reforms that include a definition of revenge porn and specific sanctions are urgently needed to protect the privacy and dignity of victims, as well as raise public awareness of this issue. The government plays an important role in updating regulations that specifically regulate and criminalize acts of revenge porn, thereby providing stronger protection for victims. In addition, the government also needs to educate the public about the importance of protecting the privacy of others and the legal consequences of distributing intimate content without permission.
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