Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence

Why in news?

As internet access has become a basic human need, sexual violence facilitated using technology is an issue that requires immediate attention.

It is a digital violence committed and amplified through the use of information and communications, technologies or digital spaces against a person based on gender.
Forms
- Sextortion - blackmail by threatening to publish sexual information, photos or videos
- Image-based abuse -sharing intimate photos without consent, morphing
- Doxing -publishing private personal information
- Cyberbullying, online gender and sexual harassment
- Cyberstalking, online grooming for sexual assault
- Hacking, hate speech, online impersonation
- Using technology to locate survivors of abuse in order to inflict further violence
- Digital flashing, rape threats etc.,

Picture of TFSV

As per a research, online abuse disproportionately affected young women.
Out of 400 students surveyed from 111 Indian higher education institutions (HEIs), it is found around 60% of women experienced some form of TFSV compared to only 8% of men.
A global study by Economist Intelligence Unit found that 38% of women have had personal experiences of online violence, and 85% of women who spend time online have witnessed digital violence against other women.

Internet penetration- According to Statista, the internet penetration in India is 48.7% in 2022 from just 4% in 2007.
Safety concerns- Online platforms will steal the information from the mobile phone without one’s knowledge.
COVID-19 induced lockdown- The pandemic induced lockdown increased the rate of online abuse as there was no social interaction.
Lack of awareness- Many people who use internet are not aware of the online abuse and its impact.
Lack of reporting- It is witnessed due to fear of reporting and the stigmatisation associated with it.
Targeting the weak- Children, young women, LGBTQI+ are the most vulnerable.

Psychological issues- It leads to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, suicidal thoughts etc.,
Impact on studies- It will lead to loss of academic or career prospects, social isolation, lack of concentration to focus on studies.
Disempowerment- It leads to self-censoring, reduced public participation due to safety and privacy concerns.
Economic impacts- The work productivity is reduced and this has impact on the worker participation rate in the economy.
Magnifies existing social inequalities- As per research, it is found that only 22% of women surveyed felt safe online compared to 73% of men.

Steps Taken to Mitigate Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence

Information Technology Act, 2000- Its objective is to create an enabling environment for effective use of the internet along with reporting the cybercrime in India.
Cybercrime cell- One can file complaint directly in the police station of the city where the crime has taken place.
Internal Complaint Committee- Employers are required to constitute an ICC at each workplace with 10 or more employees to receive and address complaints of sexual harassment.
It is constituted under Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment Act 2013 (POSH Act) which is based on Vishaka guidelines provided by the judiciary in 1997.
SHe-Box- It is an effort to provide a single window access to every woman, irrespective of her work status, whether working in organised or unorganised, private or public sector.
It facilitates the registration of complaint related to sexual harassment, provided under POSH Act 2013.

Poor law enforcement - Foreign social media companies like Meta don’t adhere to Indian context laws.
- Meta’s safety moderation algorithm is limited to only American English it doesn’t cover the abusive content in Indian languages.
Lack of institutional support-Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) is a legally mandated mechanism to investigate incidents of sexual harassment, but many institutions struggle to form, train, and manage these committees.
Under-reporting- Students reported low awareness and utilisation of ICCs in their academic institutions.
- Of the students surveyed, 44% were unsure whether they could report online sexual harassment to their college at all.

Proper law enforcement- With the upcoming Digital India Act 2023, India should strengthen its regulations and make the social media companies accountable for TFSV.
Crucial intervention point- Students should be made aware institutional support mechanisms like ICCs to report the incidents related to TFSV.
Gender sensitisation programs- Conduct regular workshops, safety training, facilitated discussions, and designating student organisations to lead education and to empower their community.
Focus on survivor’s need- It is not just gender but too many factors like caste, religion, and ethnicity also widens the TFSV, hence address this discrimination present in the society.
Open discussions- This should be done without shaming or blaming survivors.
Awareness- UNFPA empower survivors and advocates for increased accountability and regulation through interactive feature “The Virtual Is Real and Bodyright Campaign”.

References