International Women’s Day – Action Around the World

IN THE HEADLINES

• It’s a small win. Twitter will no longer allow trolls to encourage you to commit suicide or self-harm. Vice’s Motherboard writes about the new rules.
• Microsoft researches digital civility. ICYMI, Microsoft recently released its 2017 Digital Civility Study. The study included respondents from 23 countries and asked them about their experiences with 20 different online harassment “risks.” Download the study. Hashtags #Challenge4Civility and #Im4DigitalCivility.
• Electronic bully prevention. New Jersey law now requires school districts to include cyberbullying in their anti-bullying policies.
• Not on this land. The Navajo Nation has made cyberbullying illegal where the harassment is sent or received on the reservation, and perpetrated by a tribe member.

Help build a global resource guide! Check out this project in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Recommend resources, research and projects to support journalists online.

IN THE REPLAY

Michelle Ferrier leads a session at the Internet Freedom Forum on March 9 in Spain.

Brainstorming Solutions to Online Harassment at the Internet Freedom Festival

The Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation and Troll-Busters.com held a session at the Internet Freedom Festival last week on “Tackling Online Harassment.” The session connected a variety of groups and individuals working on the issue in a “two-hour interactive discussion intended to spur a solutions-oriented approach to addressing the persistent issue of online harassment of women in the media.” Read more.

An IFF session hosted by Coding Rights used counternarratives as a way to fight online abuse of women. Check out our story and the memes and gifs created.

TrollBusters was featured in Liberation as one solution for journalists. TrollBusters Advisory Board Member Sandra Ordonez, of the Open Technology Fund, is one of the co-founders of #InternetFF. Read more about the gathering of technoglitterati here (in French).

TrollBusters was also featured in the Spanish press (in Spanish). “El acoso es increíble. Recibir amenazas de muerte o de violación se está volviendo cada vez más habitual”, afirma. “No se trata solo de denigrar su trabajo; rebuscan en las redes sociales para acosar desde todos los frentes. El objetivo es someterlas a toda la presión posible para intentar que se vengan abajo.”

ON YOUR TO-DO LIST

Check Your Digital Hygiene

If you haven’t checked on the security of your personal information in awhile, take a moment to to safeguard against online abuse using TrollBusters’ digital hygiene course.

Then, check out these other great resources on the web.

• The Women’s Media Center Speech Project has numerous resources and articles designed to raise awareness of online harassment, and its effects, particularly on women.
• Security in a Box is loaded with digital security tips. Developed by Front Line Defenders and Tactical Technology Collective, it has a page to help you “explore your digital shadow” and community guides for those in high-risk countries or professions.
• For your business: Check out this great explainer from Inc. on the nuances of online harassment, and how to respond.