May targets online abuse

BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May will, at a meeting of the Group of Seven rich nations in Canada, urge web companies to do more to protect women and girls from online abuse and human traffickers, her office said yesterday.

May will ask G7 leaders gathered in Charlevoix, Quebec, to press internet firms to ensure women can go online without fear of rape threats, harassment, cyberstalking and blackmail.

“What is illegal offline is illegal online,” May said in a statement ahead of the meeting.

“Technology plays a crucial part in advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls, but these benefits are being undermined by vile forms of online violence, abuse and harassment.”

One in five women in Britain has suffered from online abuse or harassment, with 55% of those affected saying the experience led to anxiety, stress or panic attacks, according to research by the rights group Amnesty International.

More than 40% of women said social media giants Facebook and Twitter were inadequate in their response to the abuse, the study showed.

Internet firms should use the tools they employ to take down Islamist propaganda to also tackle content showing or promoting violence against women and girls, such as rape threats and violent pornography, May said.

New technologies and data analytics should also be deployed to identify and remove ads or websites linked to human trafficking, according to her statement.

Sexual exploitation accounts for about half of all cases of modern slavery in Britain, with gangs advertising many victims on adult service websites.

From Britain and the US to India and the Philippines, an increasing number of people are being trafficked online, often via social media and classified advertising websites such as Backpage.com, anti-slavery campaigners say.

Trafficking generates illegal profits of $150 billion (R1.9 trillion) a year globally, with about 40 million people trapped as slaves – mostly women and girls. – Reuters/ African News Agency (ANA)