Blackmail
Definition
Blackmail is the use of compromising information to extort money, favors, or another response through threats of exposure. In BDSM, it can also refer to roleplay in which a submissive shares information that a dominant may exploit within the scene.
Quick Facts
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What does blackmail mean?
Blackmail involves using compromising material to pressure someone through the threat of public accusation, criticism, or exposure. It can involve demands for money or favors, and the word can function as both a noun and a verb.
In its ordinary legal sense, blackmail means extorting money or favors by creating fear of harm other than bodily injury, such as damage to someone’s reputation, mental distress, or a false accusation.
Blackmail in BDSM
In BDSM, blackmail can describe a roleplay scenario in which a submissive gives a dominant information that could be exploited. Here, the term refers to the roleplay premise rather than the broader definition of extortion.
Blackmail versus defamation
Blackmail is distinct from simply speaking ill of someone or defaming them. Its defining feature is the use of compromising information or threatened exposure to extort money, favors, or another outcome.