Distribution damage
The harm caused by the distribution of pornography refers to various sexual harms that occur through the distribution of pornography. This is closely related to the harm caused by its production, but it also causes its own harms.
Distribution of production damage
Unlike other forms of sexual violence, pornography victimization leaves behind physical or electronic records, which is its greatest characteristic. Therefore, human rights violations that occur during the production process can cause additional harm when those records (produced material) are distributed.
It is important to distinguish between the harms of production and the harms of distribution, because not only are human rights violated during the production of pornography, but further violations occur when it is publicly distributed and circulated.
In today's digital and internet age, such recordings can be copied infinitely with very simple operations and can be easily distributed around the world. Victims will have the footage of themselves being sexually abused exposed to the eyes of others forever, and in some cases the damage caused by this may even exceed the damage caused by the initial production.
Non-consensual distribution of sexual records or sexual information
Couples or lovers may take photos or videos of sexual poses or sexual acts with the consent of both parties, but when one party unilaterally posts the photos or videos online or prints and distributes them without the other party's consent, this is a clear example of distribution damage. In particular, it is often the case that the person who has been dumped does this out of revenge, which causes serious problems. The spread of the Internet and the widespread use of mobile phones and smartphones has literally made this type of damage familiar to many people. In the United States, many sites have been created that specialize in this type of revenge porn, causing enormous damage. In Japan, in the 2013 stalker murder case in Mitaka City, the perpetrator distributed this type of revenge porn as part of his stalking behavior.
Furthermore, in today's Internet society, even if the person concerned does not intend to distribute the photos or videos, they can easily fall into the hands of a third party through virus infection of file-sharing software such as Winny. These third parties, without any regard for the pain of the victim, happily distribute the photos and videos, making fun of them and making fun of them. This causes the victim great harm, forcing them to quit their jobs or move.
There are also cases where people who appeared in nude photos or adult videos when they were very young conceal this fact and then make their debut in the entertainment industry, or who are living an ordinary life, only to have this fact exposed unilaterally by a third party or the media, or where photos or videos from that time are made public without permission. Furthermore, on sites such as "2channel," attempts are frequently made to identify AV performers and expose their personal information, which also causes great harm.
Defamation through pornography
"Defamation through pornography" refers to sexual harm caused by the creation and distribution of sexually explicit photos or composite images using a photograph or portrait of a specific person, or the unauthorized use and distribution of a name, photograph, portrait, or history that could identify that person in a sexually derogatory context. This harm has spread explosively with the spread of the Internet and the development of image synthesis technology. In particular, when celebrities are the target, this has even become a major genre of pornography, with the abbreviation "aikora" (idol collage).
In addition to this type of image collage damage, there are also damages caused by the use of specific individuals' names or profiles in a pornographic manner. While such acts have long been carried out by people who have been rejected as a form of personal harassment, such damage is also occurring frequently through commercial pornography.
For example, there are AV actresses whose stage names are almost identical to those of famous celebrities, and in most cases, names or nicknames that attract attention in society are quickly used as titles for pornographic works. Even if the composite photographs are not actually distributed to the general public, there are frequent cases where the composite photographs are used to blackmail victims.
Additionally, celebrities, victims of sexual crimes (or their families), and other women (or men) featured in the media in some way have been victimized by having their sexual pasts or sexual rumors spread one-sidedly in the media and on the Internet.
Furthermore, on platforms such as Twitter, there have been many cases of people creating fake accounts under the names of real women, tweeting sexual and vulgar comments, and uploading pornographic images. These are examples of sexual violence that refer to the pornification of victims, or more generally, the pornification of women.