Microsoft tackles revenge porn

Microsoft wants to help victims of revenge porn regain control of their images and privacy.

Revenge porn — in which someone, usually a spurned ex, puts private and sexual images of another person online without that person’s consent — is on the rise, and Internet companies including Google and Reddit have tried to combat it.

Now Microsoft is stepping up. The company said Wednesday that when it is notified by a victim, it will remove links to photos and videos from search results in Bing and remove access to the content itself when shared on OneDrive or Xbox Live.

Although people have been able to report to Microsoft in the past, it has set up a new reporting Web page. It is available in English and will be expanded to other languages in coming weeks. Microsoft said that when it removes links or content, it will do so globally.

Jacqueline Beauchere, Microsoft’s chief online safety officer, called revenge porn a “despicable practice” with effects that “can be truly devastating.”

“It can damage nearly every aspect of a victim’s life: relationships, career, social activities. In the most severe and tragic cases, it has even led to suicide,” she said in a blog post.

Beauchere added that the reporting mechanism is “but one small step” to address the problem.

“It’s important to remember, for example, that removing links in search results to content hosted elsewhere online doesn’t actually remove the content from the Internet; victims still need stronger protections across the Web and around the world,” she said.

Last month, Google said it would create a process for victims of revenge porn to request the removal of private photographs from the search engine’s results. Facebook, Twitter and Reddit banned revenge porn this year.