Women around the country are taking advantage of these last few weeks of warm weather. They could be hanging out at the beach with friends or working out in their own neighborhood. Regardless, these women all face the same risk.
The fact that everyone has a smartphone feels like a blessing and a curse these days, and that's where the risk lies. Women can feel safe knowing help is only one call away, but phones have also introduced new ways for those looking to harm women to create predatory situations.
An Inside Edition investigation in New York City's Washington Square Park caught a number of men photographing sunbathing women without their consent. All summer, videos have cropped up of women bravely confronting men who are violating their right to be in public without risk.
Confronting these sneaky photographers, almost always male, can bring women a sense of peace in that they know they've stood up for themselves. But asking for pictures to be deleted doesn't guarantee there isn't a backup somewhere, and it's a truly unsettling thought for too many.
The agenda for secret photography isn't always sexual. As we've seen before, sometimes people post photos of others online and turn them into memes, engaging in cyberbullying strangers for their appearance. Sadly, while the practice of photographing people in public without their consent is creepy, it is not illegal.
