The team discuss ‘The Most Hated Man on the Internet’, an American Netflix series covering the story of Hunter Moore who began a revenge porn website called ‘Is Anyone Up’, which allowed anyone to anonymously upload nude photos along with personal information such as social media handles, jobs and addresses.
Moore described himself at the time as a “professional life ruiner” who encouraged people on the site to do “their worst” in the comments section under each photo. He went on TV to say he did not feel remorse because these people had put their images out there themselves.
Charlotte Laws, an American author discovered her daughter on the site in 2012. Her husband was a lawyer and threatened copyright to have them taken down. She involved the FBI and campaigned tirelessly for two years to have her daughter’s images taken down after her computer was hacked.
She contacted many women and began a spreadsheet and it transpired that these women had not sent these images they had been on their own phones or email accounts.
James McGibney was a former US marine and American entrepreneur. In late 2011, James McGibney was approached online by Hunter Moore, who was offering McGibney space to advertise on his website, Is Anyone Up.
To do so, McGibney became an advertising partner and was able to convince Moore he was supportive of Is Anyone Up. However, in reality, he was earning his trust so he could persuade Moore to sell the website to him.
In April 2012, McGibney purchased Is Anyone Up for less than $15,000, according to ABC News.
McGibney redirected traffic coming to Is Anyone Up to his site BullyVille.com, an anti-bullying website where people can discuss their experience of being bullied and seek help.
In January 2014, four years after he launched the revenge porn site, the FBI arrested Moore on charges of conspiracy, unauthorised access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft. He later pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting in the unauthorised access of a computer.
Hunter Moore was sentenced to prison for two years and six months between 2015-2017 for his Revenge Porn crimes. In February 2015, he pleaded guilty to felony charges for aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting in the unauthorised access of a computer.
He was released from prison in May 2017, and one year later he went on to self-publish a tell-all book titled, Is Anyone Up?! The Story of Revenge Porn.
