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YouTube star wins damages in landmark 'revenge porn' case

Chrissy Chambers is awarded compensation in a civil case over intimate images posted online without permission.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Chrissy Chambers (left) and her partner, Bria Kam.

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A YouTube star has won damages in a landmark "revenge porn" case in the UK. 

YouTuber Chrissy Chambers won compensation in the first civil case of its kind in England and Wales. She sued a former boyfriend over posting videos of their sexual activity to the internet without her consent -- known as "revenge porn" -- after authorities opted not to pursue a criminal case.

The name of the ex-boyfriend and the amount of damages awarded weren't revealed.

Chambers and her partner, Bria Kam, host the "BriaAndChrissy" YouTube channel, which has nearly 760,000 subscribers. They describe themselves as a "singing duo/lesbian couple" who "use music and comedy to entertain, share, and promote equality."

Revenge porn has been around for as long as the internet, but the increased popularity of social networks has boosted its potential impact. Linked networks of family, friends and colleagues, combined with the potential for posts to go viral, hugely increases the opportunity for humiliation. The devastating consequences of revenge porn are why governments and social media companies are fighting the practice.

The posting of private intimate images without consent became illegal in the UK in 2015. More than 30 US states have similar laws.