BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey signed into law today a bill titled An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, which bans revenge porn in Massachusetts.
“This law will save lives and strengthens our efforts to hold accountable those who would engage in abusive, coercive and deeply harmful behavior,” Healey said in a statement.
The new law bans sharing explicit images without consent, including AI-generated “deep fakes.” It extends the criminal harassment statute to cover the distribution of sexual images without consent and increases maximum fines for such offenses. According to Mass.gov, sharing explicit images without consent, known as “revenge porn,” is classified as image-based sexual assault.
The legislation also introduces a diversion program for minors who share explicit images to teach them about the dangers of sexting and allows minors charged with possessing or distributing nude images to be tried in Juvenile Court. Additionally, it mandates the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to encourage school districts to implement age-appropriate media literacy instruction for all grade levels.
The law further protects survivors by expanding the definition of “abuse” under Chapter 209A to include “coercive control.” This refers to behavior patterns aimed at threatening, intimidating, harassing, isolating, controlling, coercing, or compelling a family or household member, causing fear or reduced sense of safety or autonomy. Examples include publishing explicit images without consent or threatening to harm a child or pet.
“The inclusion of coercive control in this bill is a vital advancement in safeguarding individuals from abuse. It acknowledges the severe impact of manipulative behaviors and provides crucial protections for victims-survivors,” said Vilma Uribe, Executive Director of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking. “Equally important is the inclusion of media literacy for our youth, empowering them to navigate the digital world responsibly.”
This legislation marks a significant advancement in acknowledging the insidious nature of domestic and sexual violence and the various forms it can take beyond physical abuse.
The law also makes the statute of limitations for certain domestic violence offenses the same as those for rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and sex trafficking. For instance, it extends the statute of limitations for assault and battery on a family or household member, or against someone with an active protective order, from six years to 15 years.
