Sleazy “revenge porn” site is banished to settle federal charges

[Ethan]

IsAnybodyDown is no more... except in the Internet Archives, where it lives on.

The operator of one of the Internet's sleaziest revenge porn websites has been banned from publishing any more nude images of people without their explicit permission under an agreement settling charges that he violated federal law.

Craig Brittain, the man behind IsAnybodyDown, is also required to permanently delete all images he collected, according to a release published Thursday by the Federal Trade Commission. As Ars reported almost two years ago, Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Brittain used a variety of deceitful tactics to obtain nude photos, mostly of women, which he then posted on his site without permission. Alongside the images, he posted names, birthdates, and Facebook profiles of the people portrayed.

According to the FTC, Brittain once boasted that his site was superior to other revenge porn destinations because it produced a "higher level of hatred." In all, he earned about $12,000 from IsAnybodyDown and included photos from more than 1,000 people. At the same time that Brittain published the photos, according to the FTC, Brittain owned and operated two content removal services that could delete people's images and content from IsAnybodyDown in exchange for a payment of $200 to $500. Critics claimed that e-mails sent from the two services—"Takedown Hammer" and "Takedown Lawyer"—used the same IP addresses as Craig Brittain's e-mails, but Brittain denied the connection.

Brittain employed several tactics to obtain nude photos. One was to pose as a woman on Craigslist who wanted to exchange nude photos with other women. During the correspondence, according to at least one woman stung under the fraud, Brittain asked for her birthdate and phone number. A few days later, both the nude images and personal information were published on IsAnybodyDown. Brittain also solicited anonymous photo submissions from visitors to his site. The FTC alleged that Brittain offered bounties of at least $100 in exchange for other users finding pictures and information about a specific person.

Many of the women whose images and personal details were posted to IsAnybodyDown asked Brittain to remove the content. They cited the potential harm to their careers and reputations and unwelcome contact from strangers. In many cases, according to the FTC, Brittain didn't respond. Under terms of the settlement, Brittain didn't admit to or deny any of the allegations. Interestingly, while IsAnybodyDown is no longer dishing up nudes and personal information, the site continues to live on in the Internet Archives. The FTC action is laudable, but it's likely not enough to make victims whole.