So, a few days back, I was on Google Trends, trying to get some idea of what people were searching for on the Internet from Bangladesh. What I found wasn’t something I wanted to find, or something that is good for society, or, I don’t know, humankind in general.
I mean we call ourselves civilized people. We’re a civilization, right? We have all these laws, social norms, culture, and a sense of morality and ethics. All that dictates what we do and how we behave. So the first thing that pops up in a Google Trends analysis should not be the leaked intimate video of a private citizen.
The name of the person was searched more than 20,000 times on 22nd December 2024.
It’s worth mentioning that this is not the first time this crossed my eye. In Bangladesh, on any given day, you’ll find massive search traffic for terms like “leaked video,” “viral video,” etc. What’s more concerning, if anybody makes news on any event like this and posts it on social media, you’ll find hundreds of comments asking for links to that illicit content. Plus, people will oblige by sharing drive links or inviting others to Telegram, Reddit, Discord, and whatnot. This is where I get angry at random people. Are we so frustrated sexually that we beg for links from total randos online?
A leaked video is termed ‘leaked’ for a reason. That’s because the person who’s in the video did not share that with the public. They do not want to share that publicly and sharing it without their consent is a criminal offense. So, do we really want to be a nation that’s hooked on revenge porn or illegally distributed content? This poses a big question of what we see as black, white, or gray. In my mind, there’s no gray area when it comes to leaked intimate visuals, revenge porn, or illegal content. It’s all black.
Speaking of black and white reminds me of people’s perception of black or white in this country. People have this tendency to turn everything gray; or worse, they try to justify criminal activity without even thinking clearly. As far as I’ve seen, in the case of sexually explicit content, some common justifications would include:
- Why would they do it?
- Why would they shoot something intimate?
- If doing it is fine, what’s wrong with watching it?
Then, we’d usually go into our classic victim-blaming mode.
To answer the questions above, firstly, people have the right to pose, tease, or carry out sexual activity just because they feel like it. There’s nothing wrong with it! In fact, it’s a perfectly healthy practice to get physically attached to your partner and to excite or impress them. That’s only natural and blaming others for being open or vulnerable to their partners is not.
Secondly, shooting intimate activity, in a private place, not for public consumption, is not illegal by any means. Yes, it depends on your personal preference but you have absolutely zero right to impose your preferences on someone else.
The third question is probably the most common and the most insane. It is absolutely wrong to watch or distribute someone else’s private stuff without their consent, morally and legally speaking. The lack of legislation regarding this keeps you out of harm’s way but the harm you’re causing to yourself is undeniable. You’re supporting unethical activity, which sets an example for people around you and for the future generation. Ask yourself this: would you want your grandkids to bully you for something naughty you did with your partner? I don’t think so. I know that most of you probably answered that you’d not give anyone the chance to do that, but honestly, those are the most hollow words you could say. And if you’ve answered along those lines, you’re absolutely unaware of other people’s privacy, and, guess what, you’re supporting the violation of privacy.
As a human being you, me, and everyone else have the right to privacy. That means I have the right to be able to keep my private data private. If you get your hands on that without my consent or knowledge, it’s 100% your fault. To put it into perspective, I have full rights to walk around in a state of nature in my house and it’s your responsibility, legally and morally, to not peek into my house. You should be ashamed of violating my privacy, and I should have no shame regarding whatever on earth I’m doing in my own home. It’s not a public place, so it’s not indecent exposure. Therefore, you don’t have any right to play the ‘peeping tom’ role here.
My biggest worry is that we’re fueling, and sometimes willingly fostering, this nasty culture of violating privacy and blaming the victims for it. In simplest words, we’re moving towards moral decay. If it’s the innate behavior of the majority, can one or two voices like mine make a difference? Can we build a country where people respect others’ privacy?
