Hillary Clinton was asked at a town-hall event this week how she would help victims of "revenge porn" if she were elected president, and she took the opportunity to identify herself as "exhibit A" of how negative things are said online.
Chrissy Chambers, who runs a YouTube channel, identified herself as one of the first public figures to come out as a victim of revenge porn and asked Clinton what she would do as president to ensure that a federal law is passed criminalizing revenge porn to allow victims like herself to pursue justice, according to video posted online of the event Tuesday.
Clinton committed to doing "everything" possible to figure out how to provide victims of revenge porn with the tools to support and protect themselves during the Los Angeles town hall, which featured an audience of digital content creators. Clinton lamented how cyber bulling, revenge porn, and other such acts committed on the internet have ruined lives, but noted that the members of the audience have also been the source of support and encouragement for people online.
"You have to help me figure out how do we keep the best of what you’re doing and everything that the internet means," Clinton said.
"Is there going to be bad stuff and nasty stuff and rotten things that are said? I am exhibit A. I am an expert in this, so yeah, I know that. But when it crosses a line, when it becomes so threatening, so dangerous, we have to stop it," Clinton continued.
Allegations of former President Bill Clinton’s affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky first broke on the internet in the 1990s, creating a media frenzy. The former first lady did not specifically address the scandal during her remarks.
Chambers is pursuing a civil suit in the United Kingdom against her former boyfriend, who posted explicit videos of her on porn sites after they broke up.