Online abuse was already occurring at historic levels before COVID-19. It’s about to get worse as more victims -- and those seeking to harm them -- gravitate online amid self-isolation measures. Italy has seen a 70% increase in internet traffic. Reddit is reporting traffic increases of up to 50%. Incidents of online abuse - gender based violence, stalking, bullying and elder abuse - will undoubtedly escalate in this crowded environment.
Before this happens, organizations have an opportunity to help victims and communities stay safe by raising awareness, sharing resources and providing actionable safety tips.
Raise Awareness by Grabbing Attention
Digital health simply isn’t on the national radar. Not like physical or mental health, but it should be. Statistics and quotes are effective ways to capture attention while also stressing the importance of online safety:
6 in 10 teens already experience cyberbullying. With even more teens online during COVID-19, this toolkit is a great resource to help parents and teachers navigate this unique time.
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"Full access to a person's phone is the next best thing to full access to a person's mind," - Eva Galperin. Check out this TED incredible talk to learn about how spyware is becoming a serious threat to our devices.
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Digital Abuse calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline are up 146%. Prioritizing digital safety doesn’t need to be complicated. Start by updating 1 password per day.
Share Resources
There are amazing online safety resources out there that organizations and professionals can share with their clients, communities and donors.
United States:
Online Harassment: Online SOS
Tech-Enabled Domestic Violence: National Network to End Domestic Violence
Nonconsensual Pornography: Cyber Civil Rights Initiative
Deepfake Abuse: EndTAB
United Kingdom:
Tech-Enabled Domestic Violence: The Refuge
Australia:
Online Abuse: eSafety Commissioner
Offer Actionable Advice
Example: Digital Housekeeping
Many of us now find ourselves with excess downtime these days. If you’ve already cleaned every inch of your home (or are procrastinating), try cleaning up your online digital footprint (aka online accounts). This likely includes accounts no longer used or those that have simply been forgotten. These accounts can be used to impersonate, stalk, harass or obtain personal information about a victim. Here is a quick way to create the account list:
1) Open every email account you’ve ever used or is still active.
2) Use the search function within each email account and search for phrases like “welcome”, “sign up” and “verify your email” to create a list of accounts you’ve opened.
3) Create a list of any additional accounts from memory.
4) Look up each of your email addresses on haveibeenpwned.com to see if any associated accounts were subject to a data breach and add them to the list.
Once the list is complete, this digital housekeeping project enables a person to delete unused accounts and make the ones they keep safer by updating their passwords.
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