Nude Senator Fights Cyber Extortion But Where’s Feds?

A Florida senator extorted over nude photos stolen from her phone & sold wants to strengthen her state’s revenge porn law by making such cyber trafficking … as well as disseminating altered or created sexually explicit images aka deepfakes … a felony. But, she wonders, why hasn’t Congress also addressed this growing problem?

As it happens, Florida Senator Lauren Book had on her phone some pics of her showing a “really bad sunburn” and post-lumpectomy.” She noted that after being threatened unless she paid the faceless extortionist, “My images were sold, bought for, traded, not with my consent [traceable to virtual networks in Russia & Sweden] … and it is happening every day to women, children across the country.”

According to Fox News, “Book’s office received an overwhelming response from survivors of cyberstalking to victims of deepfake, digital hacking and image-based sexual abuse after they read news reports of the bill she’s sponsoring in the Florida legislature.” Currently, federal law punishes cyberstalking if the victim “reasonably fears death or serious bodily harm to themselves or another (including a pet or service animal).” On the other hand, the FBI does investigate & the DOJ will prosecute internet fraud and blackmail or extortion under broader federal criminal statues …

Davd Soul