NEW technology has been introduced to help people report and remove ‘revenge porn’ from Facebook.

The social media network announced last week it had introduced new tools to the site to help people when intimate images were shared without their permission.

A spokesman said the company had worked with organisations around the world, including the Revenge Porn Helpline, to help develop the new tools, which have been developed with safety experts and were already live on the site.

The spokesman said: “If you see an intimate image on Facebook that looks like it was shared without permission, you can report it by using the ‘Report’ link that appears when you tap on the downward arrow or ‘…’ next to a post.

“Specially trained representatives from our Community Operations team review the image and remove it if it violates our Community Standards. In most cases, we will also disable the account for sharing intimate images without permission. We offer an appeals process if someone believes an image was taken down in error.”

The social media giant then uses photo-matching technologies “to help thwart further attempts to share the image on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram”, and if anyone attempts to share the image after it has been reported and removed, Facebook prevents it and contacts them with a warning. Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, she was encouraged by Facebook’s attempts to tackle the problem.She said: “I welcome the steps being taken by Facebook to identify these images and take them down. Anything to help limit the distress felt by victims is a step forward, and technology like this can play a big part.

“I have been campaigning in support of revenge porn victims for some time now, or Image Based Sexual Abuse as I think it should be called. The priority of the #NoMoreNaming campaign is to extend automatic anonymity for victims of Image Based Sexual Abuse, like it is for all other victims of sexual crimes. That would both encourage victims to come forward and ensure there is no chance of their distress being compounded by being named in the media.” A petition set up by Mrs Mulligan has already been signed by more than 15,000 people. Go to northyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk/for-you/victims/nomorenaming