Social media accused of failing women
An anti-digital hate and misinformation organisation has called on Instagram to close routes that strangers use to abuse women online.
What you need to know:
- Instagram has been asked to close routes that strangers use to abuse women online.
- CCDH's findings showing that one in 15 direct messages sent by strangers to high-profile women are abusive.
An anti-digital hate and misinformation organisation has called on Instagram to close routes that strangers use to abuse women online.
The Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a US-headquartered non-profit organisation has made this call, informed by its findings showing that one in 15 direct messages sent by strangers to high-profile women are abusive.
The women were Amber Heard (actress and UN Human Rights Champion), Rachel Riley (broadcaster), and Jamie Klingler (co-founder of Reclaim These Streets).
Bryony Gordon (award-winning journalist and mental health campaigner) and Sharan Dhaliwal, founder of South Asian culture magazine Burnt Roti were also sampled.
The organisation analysed direct messages sent to the five prominent women in entertainment, journalism and activism. Their followers sum up to 4.8 million.
Of the 8,720 text, audio, image, and video messages reviewed, 567 of them contained misogyny, image-based sexual abuse, hatred and graphic violence.
"Social media is systemically and categorically failing women," Imran Ahmed, CCDH's founder, wrote on the report.
Scared
He added: "Platforms must enforce their hate speech standards, strengthen reporting tools without putting the onus on those who are targeted, and fulfil the basic duty to put the safety of women and marginalised communities before profit."
Ms Riley told CCDH the trend had scared her off checking her inbox
“It’s astounding to know that strangers are sending porn - it empowers them to know that it’s gone to your inbox," she said.
Meanwhile, Ms Dhaliwal regarded the image-based sexual abuse “a power play. It’s less to do with having a sexual interaction. It’s about them feeling they have power and can walk away from that saying, ‘I did that’”.
In a statement, however, Instagram said it had already taken measures to protect women.
Going by the article on the New York Times, Cindy Southworth, head of women’s safety at Meta, parent company owning Instagram said: "We don’t allow gender-based hate or any threat of sexual violence, and last year, we announced stronger protections for female public figures,” said.
