Posted a 'tearful selfie' on SNS,
photo misused on adult content sites
Victim says, "Planning to report to police"
A woman in China experienced her 'tearful selfie' being misused on adult content websites after she posted it online. She expressed her frustration, saying, "I don't understand why such an ordinary photo was stolen," and added, "I requested deletion from the sites that used my photo, but only a very small number complied." She plans to report the incident to the police.
A 'tearful selfie' photo that Liang posted online in the past. The photo was illegally used on several adult content sites. SCMP
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on May 11 (local time), Liang, a 19-year-old female college student attending a university in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China, recently learned from friends that her photo was being misused on adult content websites.
The photo in question was one Liang had posted on her social networking service (SNS) two years ago. She had taken a selfie after crying while reading a sad novel and uploaded it to her SNS. Since then, the photo has been found to have been illegally used on numerous adult content websites and in advertisements for libido enhancers and matchmaking services. In particular, it was widely used in advertisements for a product called the 'orgasm injection,' an injectable treatment marketed to increase women's sexual arousal.
Liang said, "The photo of me crying reached 700,000 views on one SNS platform," and added, "I filed complaints with several platforms, but only a very small number actually deleted the advertisements." She continued, "Someone even said behind my back, 'Isn't she the woman who sells stimulants?' Even after I shared my experience on SNS, some netizens blamed me, saying things like 'Why did you post such a photo?' or 'Who told you to upload that?' I wasn't wearing revealing clothes or making provocative gestures in the photo. I don't know what I did wrong," she said, expressing her sense of injustice.
Comments from netizens blaming Leeang. The content included "So why did you post the photo? It's your fault." Leeang SNS
Liang stated that she intends to report the incident to the police. However, she also admitted that she does not know how to contact the advertising companies or adult content websites that misused her photo. Liang urged SNS platforms to improve their internal reporting systems, explaining that it is difficult for victims to protect their rights in such situations.
In relation to this, a lawyer from a law firm in Hunan Province, central China, said, "Liang's case shows how difficult it is for victims to protect their image and reputation in the digital age." The lawyer continued, "The first thing to do when such incidents occur is to secure evidence," explaining that links to the websites and product information where the photos were misused should be collected. The lawyer added, "At the same time, you can negotiate with the companies that misused the photos and request that they stop the violations. If negotiations fail, you can file a lawsuit to seek legal responsibility."
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