Poor cybersecurity can also cause sexts to end up in the wrong hands
In order to design a sexting plan, you’ll have to do a little “threat modeling,” or deciding what data you’re trying to protect and from whom
Once we attached cameras to computers, people predictably started sending each other nudes over the internet. Research now indicates the majority of Americans are sending and receiving explicit messages online: 88 percent of the 870 people who participated in a 2015 Drexel University study said they’ve sexted.
But there’s evidence that our messages are being seen by more than just the people they’re intended for. Nearly 25 percent of sext recipients say they’ve shared messages with someone else, according to a 2016 study that polled nearly 6,000 single adults.
It’s not just shitty significant others passing around nude photos to their friends. In 2014 for example, hackers stole and then leaked over 500 explicit images of mostly female celebrities. The infamous hack was reportedly executed by phishing the victims and exploiting a flaw in iCloud. Similar hacks have continued to happen.
There are plenty of people who will rush to say that you should never sext, and blame those who face negative consequences for participating in the behavior in the first place
It’s often incredibly painful for someone to have their most intimate images and messages made public or shared with people they were never intended for. Acts of so-called revenge porn-when abusers share explicit photos and videos of their former partners-have serious emotional consequences for victims. The majority of US states now have some form of law against revenge porn.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to make sexting safer. Before I get to it, it’s worth saying that there’s no such thing as 100 percent secure sexting. Sending and receiving explicit messages over the internet is always going to have some level of risk associated with it.
That’s not realistic or helpful advice. As long as you’re proactive and take steps to mitigate the risks, it’s perfectly fine to send and receive sexts with partners you trust.
There’s also no perfect solution that works for everybody. Nearly all of the experts I spoke to stressed that there’s not a single application or website that can be relied upon by everyone who wants to sext. What you ultimately choose to do depends on what you’re worried about.
For example, are you most concerned about your nudes being leaked by a hacker, or spread by a former partner? Depending on the answer to questions like these, the apps and solutions you decide on will be different.
Before I get specific, there are a couple of best practices everyone should follow, regardless of your threat model. It’s also important, no matter what solution you choose, that you’re practicing good digital security generally. If you want a refresher on basics like choosing a secure password, you can check out Motherboard’s comprehensive guide to not getting hacked.
A quick warning: If you’re a minor, don’t send photos or videos of yourself naked to anyone, under any circumstances. It’s possible you or your partner may face legal consequences, even if you send photos or videos of yourself consensually.
No one in the history of the internet has enjoyed receiving an unsolicited dick pic. Before you start sexting, get explicit consent from your partner. Don’t just agree that you’re both comfortable with swapping nudes, also decide on the digital aspects of the arrangement.
“It’s important to remember to set the privacy and security rules before you engage in sharing-discuss how long images can be http://www.hookupdate.net/escort-index/detroit/ kept, where they can be stored, how long to retain chat history, and who has access to your devices,” independent cybersecurity expert Jessy Irwin told me in an email.
