Anger as sex tape seen on porn sites
THE sex tape that went viral on social media has been uploaded to pornographic websites.
Sameera Naidoo, who filmed the 2-minute, 17-second video with her then-fiancé at his Phoenix home recently, is working on having it removed from two international websites.
It was uploaded multiple times to Pornhub and Xvideos by various users.
Naidoo, of Chatsworth, said the video was revenge pornography and that people are profiting from it.
To upload a video onto either of these websites, the user needs to register an account.
For every view, the person who uploaded the video will be compensated.
So far, the video has collectively garnered close to 50 000 views on these two platforms.
“I can’t have that. It’s not right.” The 25-year-old said despite two weeks having passed since the video went viral, her name continued to be dragged through the mud.
“People keep talking horribly about me and I just want it to stop. That’s why I need the videos removed, but I don’t know how to get them pulled down.
“I have never had to deal with something like this before, but I have friends helping me.”
She said she felt as though she was being shamed for having sex.
Pornhub has a “content removal” request form, which can be completed by the victims of revenge pornography, blackmailing, and intimidation.
One can also request videos to be removed for copyright infringement.
This week, the POST tracked down Naidoo’s ex-fiancé but he declined to comment.
Jakes Singh, the chairperson of the Chatsworth community policing forum, said he tried to help Naidoo find those responsible for distributing the video.
“We were meant to meet on Monday at Chatsworth police station to help her, but she did not show up.”
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said a case of crimen injuria was opened, and the docket was taken to the senior public prosecutor for a decision on whether to prosecute.
Just how effective these new laws will be remains to be seen, but the government must be lauded for recognising the phenomenon of “revenge porn” and attempting to clamp down on it.
Therein also lies a message for young girls and women in relationships today – that for as long as we live in a patriarchal society, females need to be guarded.
Sameera’s case highlights that trusting your partner should not be taken lightly. And that you always have a right to say no. In this climate of sex-shaming and social media sharing, nothing seems to be off-limits for public consumption. Under these circumstances, don’t be afraid to set your own limits.
If your partner is not willing to accept this, then show him the door. You are a daughter and sister; you may be a mother and an aunt too. You have your career and reputation to uphold. Notwithstanding all the rhetoric about women’s empowerment, often women are left to fend for themselves.
It’s indicative of the hypocritical times in which we live. Hindu scriptures refer to it as Kali Yuga – the dark age. This week, Hindus completed a nine-day period of intense prayer and abstinence dedicated to the Divine Mother in her varied forms. A significant part of the festival of Navratri is spent honouring women for the many roles they play in society – from the home to the workplace – and for their strength of character.
That should be our focus as South Africans for 365 days, not only when it’s seen as fashionable according to religious practices or commemorative days or months.
Only when we begin to value women for their immense worth, and not as objects, will such “revenge porn” videos be rendered inconsequential.
Jagjivan Kalicharan is a journalist by profession and a freelance radio producer for Lotus FM’s popular weekday talk show, You can tune in to the show Monday to Thursday from 7 to 8pm. Follow her on Twitter @maya_jag and on her blog, inmywords.co.za
Dawn Basdeo