More than half of domestic violence victims are ignored by social media companies if they dare to report abuse by their current or former partner. According to a survey by the British organization Refuge , 53 percent of those affected received no response from site operators after they marked attacks on their portals. Two out of five victims feel abandoned and would therefore no longer report such cases.

Online abuse: “Homework not done”

“The threats, persecution and harassment that my ex-boyfriend made on social media made me fear for my life,” Regufe quotes from the descriptions of one victim. “I even had to move because he published my home address and threatened to hurt me every day,” says the person affected.

Nevertheless, it took six attempts before Facebook finally responded to the incidents. “During this, my life was turned upside down. I was disappointed. They admitted that these posts violated their community standards. It still took Facebook four months to delete them,” said the criticism.

“For far too long, social media companies have not done their homework when it comes to online abuse. This has terrible consequences for those affected.”

Jess Eagleton, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Refuge

Many women received no response at all to their terrible attacks.

“These companies need to be held accountable. “You need a strong set of rules to be able to counteract violence against women and girls on the Internet.”

Jess Eagleton, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Refuge

258 percent more attacks

According to the report, the need for help and support in the event of online abuse, i.e. that occurs using technical means, has recently skyrocketed dramatically. The Refuge support team in question registered and processed 258 percent more attacks in 2022 than in 2018. Among other things, an increasing number of abuses were recorded in which perpetrators used modern technologies such as smart door locks, web cameras or intelligent heating systems to monitor, control or otherwise harass their victims.

Source:

Press release
Already read? A Mimikama fact check: Why wind farms are shutting down despite power shortages

Sh


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )