In 2012, Holly Jacobs, who holds a Ph.D. in industrial/organization psychology from Florida International University, founded what is now the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) after she was a victim of “revenge porn.” An ex-boyfriend posted nude photographs and a video of Dr. Jacobs online.
The mission of CCRI is to provide resources and advocacy for victims of online harassment. Since its establishment, the CCRI has provided support to thousands of victims, brought global attention to this issue, and advocated for legislation that would criminalize revenge porn. It operates a 24-hour crisis hotline for victims which provides legal referral services and other information. Dr. Jacobs has focused on the issue of nonconsensual pornography but hopes to broaden the mission of CCRI to other forms of online abuse.
The CCRI has now found a new home at the University of Miami School of Law. This allows students at the law school to apply their legal training to a cutting-edge issue with real-world implications. Joining Dr. Jacobs in leading the CCRI is Mary Anne Franks, an associate professor of law at the University of Miami. Dr. Jacobs says that Franks “has been CCRI’s secret weapon. She knows the intricacies of the law around this issue better than anyone else and has advised legislators and policymakers across the globe and in more than 30 U.S. states.” Professor Frank is the primary architect of the Intimate Privacy Protection Act now before Congress.
Professor Franks is a graduate of Loyola University and Harvard Law School. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in modern languages and literatures at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.