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Democratic Co-Lead Rep. Meeks Statement on
the Introduction of the ENOUGH Act
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Meeks released the below statement after Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) yesterday introduced the Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment Act or the ENOUGH Act, of which Congressman Meeks is a Democratic Co-Lead and original cosponsor. Regarding the bill, which would criminalize the sharing of private, explicit images without the subject’s consent, Congressman Meeks said the following:
“In this digital age, people can become victims of sexual harassment in an instant, turning their whole lives upside down. Four years ago, Rep. Jackie Speier and I first began working on federal legislation to address the problem of nonconsensual pornography. Since then, thirty-five states have enacted statutes to combat this heinous practice. Statutes differ from state to state and unfortunately, the adoption of such laws has not been ubiquitous. It is therefore up to Congress to step in and enact a federal law finally criminalizing nonconsensual pornography.
“Law enforcement organizations, women’s rights groups, family issues organizations, technology companies, and academics all agree: the victims of “revenge porn,” “sextortion,” and other forms of heinous nonconsensual pornography deserve a federal fix. That is why I am proud to join Congresswoman Speier’s effort to finally criminalize—at the federal level—the practice of non-consensual explicit image sharing as the House Democratic Co-Lead and an original cosponsor of the ENOUGH Act.
“This act would not only establish criminal punishment for these serious privacy violations, but would also do so in specific and narrow ways that would respect the First Amendment and civil liberties. In our digital world, it is crucial we enact new laws that both protect our rights as citizens and the safety of our private content.”
