Texas appeals court dismisses ‘revenge porn’ law

An appeals court in Texas has struck down a law barring intimate photos and videos from previous or current relationships from being shared online without consent.

The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler dismissed the law Wednesday. The ruling says the law violates the First Amendment by restricting expression based on the content of photographs and videos shared online.

The court also ordered a revenge porn charge to be dropped against Jordan Bartlett Jones. Court records show Jones challenged the law as unconstitutional while awaiting trial for displaying a naked photograph of a woman in a way that revealed her identity.

Texas legislators passed the law in 2015. The law made revenge porn a crime punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.