Why it's so difficult to ban 'revenge porn'

Almost everyone hates it. But state legislatures are having a tough time fighting it.

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(Image credit: Illustration by Lauren Hansen | Image courtesy of Thinkstock)

Before it was shut down last spring, the website Is Anyone Up was the leading publisher of "revenge porn," defined by the Village Voice as "cell-phone nudes" submitted by "scorned exes, embittered friends, [and] malicious hackers" posted next to the subject's name, location, and social media information.

The resulting outrage directed at the site and its founder, Hunter Moore (whom Rolling Stone called "The Most Hated Man on the Internet"), made it look like bans on revenge porn would be an easy sell to lawmakers.

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.