Mark Davies

Why is it ok to publish Brooks Newmark’s naked selfies but not Jennifer Lawrence’s?

Revenge porn is about to become a criminal offence, punishable by up to two years in prison. As the Guardian reports, ‘there has been mounting political pressure to outlaw the practice of humiliating former lovers by posting intimate pictures of them online.’

But the front page of the Sun on Sunday is fine, presumably? Because what is the difference between revenge porn between private individuals, and selling the media a selfie that you exchanged with some MP?

On what basis are photos of Brooks Newmark fair game for the front page of a newspaper, in a world where posting embarrassing private pictures of your former lover on Facebook is about to become a criminal offence? Even without any new law, their publication is a clear breach of copyright, which lies, in a selfie, with the taker.

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