“Be careful of what you put on the internet. It will never go away.”
This is the cautionary tale every web user is given the first time they use the computer. However, many times, for whatever reason, images or information surfaces on the internet that portrays people in an unflattering light.
As well, with the advent of smart phones, which act as both a camera and a computer, information can be spread at the speed of light without the victim being aware.
Leaked “sex tapes” are no longer a new phenomenon. Many people, some well known and some who are not, have experienced their sexual encounters being shared widely around the web.
Locally, famous fashion designers and media members were among the many victims of leaked “sex tapes.” And internationally some celebrity sex tapes may have inadvertently or intentionally boosted careers.
However, with the constant exposure to so many sexting incidences, some young people feel pressured to engage in acts that they are not ready for, and then they get filmed. Among children and adults, leaked sex tapes and sexting images can lead to cyber bullying, “slut shaming,” loss of jobs and in extreme cases, people commit suicide.
In 2011 two students from Fatima College were filmed in the bathroom engaging in a sexual act. That footage was later uploaded to YouTube. The video circulated around Facebook, along with a rumour that one of the boys committed suicide. However, the rumour was not true.
West Indian cricketer Lendl Simmons is currently in a private lawsuit with a woman with whom he used to be intimate with. The woman is suing him for sharing intimate photos of them via the mobile apps WhatsApp and Viber.
Sexting and sex tapes are not the only problems people encounter while online.
Former Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) board member Jaishima Leladharsingh was recently fired for racist statements he made a year ago on Facebook.
While Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp and Viber have become staples in the phones of the everyday Trinidadian and Tobagonian, new apps such as Snapchat, Tinder and Secret - Speak Freely are becoming more popular.
The Education Ministry has engaged in debates about banning camera phones from the schools to avoid the filming of sexual and violent acts among students. Recent camera phone viral videos showed students engaging in fights and large brawls both during and after school. However, students still engage in sexting and sex videos.
In the past, the Education Ministry has stated it cannot ban cellphones because a student is entitled to their property. However, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has mandated an inter-ministerial team to come up with a new cellphone policy for schools to end illicit school ground videos.