A measure sponsored by State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) and State Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond) taking aim at online harassment has been signed into law.
House Bill 2408/Public Act 101-0385 makes it illegal to post private compromising images of another person online and creates a court process for a victim to have the images taken down with an emergency order, and to recover damages.
“Unfortunately, in this age, nude images are taken and posted online without a person’s consent,” said McClure. “This new law allows a victim to obtain an emergency take-down order to remove the images from websites.”
The newly signed law also gives victims the ability to go after the perpetrators in court. If a person is found to have posted a private compromising image, they will be held liable for damages in an amount determined by the court.
HB 2408 was signed in to law on August 16 and becomes effective January 1, 2020