Glitch

In the spirit of transparency, we’re sharing our feedback on the draft transparency guidance Ofcom is developing to enforce the Online Safety Act. Read our top recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/gyY9KSD9 #EndOnlineAbuse

October 26 marks a year since since the Online Safety Act received Royal Asset, giving the UK a law addressing violence against women and girls online. We’re thankful that you helped us and @evawuk make that happen by signing our petition and sharing our campaign – But this is just the beginning: https://lnkd.in/gAqR-Saz Nima Elmi, co-founder of the Africa Dialogues, a thought leadership community supporting Africa’s digital revolution, shared this bit of wisdom during our all-Black woman panel at CPDP conference, where we discussed our AI concerns and solutions. We can and will do more to protect Black women and marginalised people from online abuse. #EndOnlineAbuse

We can’t talk about Reclaiming Narratives this #BlackHistoryMonth without including Black women and gender expansive people's impact on social media. They have found ways to enjoy the internet and make it worthwhile for each other. Hair, makeup, fashion, education, humour, creativity, community – Glitch sees what is possible for Black women online. We are using our influence in tech safety councils and government offices so Black women can continue make the internet what they want it to be. We have Well-Read Black Girl going from an Instagram book appreciation page to a whole literary organisation that now champions Black, brown and Indigenous voices in publishing. There’s Yasmin Benoit fighting asexual erasure and leading the Black representation we need a further marginalised group within the LGBTQ2S+ community. Black Ballad is amplifying stories for, by and about Black women so we can create and the narratives see ourselves in the world arounds us instead of letting our needs be erased. And of course, there’s Scola Dondo whose commitment to embracing the body she’s in is helping a digital community of women developing healthy approaches to their fitness lifestyles. Black women are creating the digital communities they wanted to see themselves in, rather than letting themselves be forced off of social media. They’ve been putting in work. Glitch is proud to follow up by making sure the internet is a safe place for them to continue. #EndOnlineAbuse

Black joy is Black history. #BlackHistoryMonth #EndOnlineAbuse

If we want to talk about real change this #WorldMentalHealthDay, we need to talk about our role in making social media a safer and joyful place. From anxiety, to stress, self-harm and even suicide, Black women and girls are suffering because of digital misogynoir. If mental health is a government priority, the UK’s digital spaces and legislation must hold tech companies accountable to protecting victims of online abuse. The thing is, tech companies and our government can change this. Thanks to our work with Carnegie UK, End Violence Against Women Coalition, NSPCC, Refuge and 5Rights, we created a code of practice to follow that can prevent VAWG and support online abuse victims on their recovery. This is for tech companies to follow and Ofcom to enforce: – Expedite reports from children and cases related to child safety – Provide contact details for mental health support after someone is exposed to hateful or violent material – Maintain communication with support services to share information and make referrals for victims – Share transparent process highlighting the journey from the user report to the supportive action *Poor mental health because of online abuse is completely preventable.* Violence against women and girls is engrained in our culture and will continue to harm everyone if we don’t learn how to spot it and keep it from going viral. Regulated services like social media platforms should have a duty of care to protect people from harm. If they fail, they should be mandated to provide trauma-informed and victim-centred support. You can read more of Code of Practice here: https://lnkd.in/gmH2PfyN #EndOnlineAbuse

What if we told you there were approximately 500,000 deepfake videos shared online in 2023? Now what if we told you, 98% of these videos are nonconsensual “deepfake pornography?” From sexist stereotypes to gender-based violence, AI is being used to harm women and LGBTQ+ people on social media. It’s time for Big Tech to take big action. While certain platforms have already taken some important steps in the right direction, these steps are not nearly enough. Black women and girls are suffering now and deserve to use social media safely and freely. Fortunately, it is possible to co-exist and benefit from AI without enabling AI abuse. That’s why we’re thrilled to be joining We Are UltraViolet and 25 other digital and human rights organisations in an open letter outlining crucial demands for Big Tech companies to take as a major first starting point in protecting against gendered AI harms. But before we signed the open letter, we advocated for two amendments to be included in our collective demands: 1) the inclusion of a reference stating that deepfakes are a tool for perpetuating gender-based violence, which result in women of colour experiencing racialised and sexualised image abuse 2) the inclusion of culturally-appropriate resources for communities most at risk – namely, Black women We won’t let Black women and girls won’t be further harmed by misogynistic abuse online. You can read the full letter with the link in our bio: https://lnkd.in/gVQQeFCz #EndOnlineAbuse #OurPainTheirProfit #StopThePatriAIrchy

In honour of #InternationalDayofCharity, let’s chat about the money it takes to do this work. Black feminist work serves everyone, but Black people are frequently expected to do transformative work with little to no compensation. Say it with us: “Free labour is slavery.” International Day of Charity is about mobilising people and organisations around the world to volunteer and commit to philanthropic activities. If you’re a civil society organisation or funder hoping for a charity representative to speak at your event, lead a workshop, or provide research, pay them for the value they’re providing. You can read about Shafiqah’s work here: https://lnkd.in/dZs-jvT9 Thanks Seyi Akiwowo for leading this charity and saying enough is enough👏🏿👑

Happy National Book Lover’s Day! Put your hand up if you have been personally victimised by the reading goal you made at the beginning of the year🙋🏿♀️ Luckily, we have a great reading list for you. We have timeless articles and essays if you don't have time for a book right now – and some books to get you out of your reading slump. These writers are inspiring us, making us into better feminists and helping us become a better charity. Hope you like them! ✨✨✨ What’s the last book you read? ...Or one that's been sitting on your bedside table for a couple of months?

Today is Black Leaders Awareness Day, which is a great opportunity to give Black women and non-binary people their flowers. The work and love these Black women pour into the Black community and the world has made them trailblazers across several movements. Whether they are talking about the climate crisis, trans rights, or building positive communities, they are challenging the status quo and the systems that oppress us. Being a Black woman who chooses to protest oppression can make them a target for digital misogynoir (well, so does being a Black woman who simply exists). That’s why celebrating Black leaders means encouraging and protecting them too. For Glitch, that means continuing our work to make the internet a safer place where their voice can thrive. It’s about centering joy and blocking harassment. It’s about amplifying their ideas and shutting down abuse. It’s about continually seeking community with other Black women. It’s about championing digital citizenship to protect digital spaces where we have the right to exist. Maybe you’ve heard of them, maybe you’ve read them – today, you can join us in honouring them. Ladies, thank you for your leadership. We’re rooting for you. ✨✨✨ These are some of the Black leaders we love to see winning: Christina Adane Mikaela Loach Phyll Opoku-Gyimah Julie Jaye Charles CBE Seyi Akiwowo Kelechi Okafor Joycelyn Longdon Destiny Boka-Batesa Munroe Bergorf We want to know who inspires you, too. Shout out other Black leaders you admire in the comments. #EndOnlineAbuse #BlackLeadersAwarenessDay

It’s been one year since Glitch released the Digital Misogynoir Report with the goal of revealing how Black women are targeted for online abuse – and what people, tech companies and governments can do to create a safe and joyful internet for all of us. Our report remains relevant with the historic number of Black women now serving in the UK’s national government. We can celebrate their election, but we need to be diligent about their retention. Our Digital Misogynoir Report outlines key calls to action to make sure Black women are not run out of public office because of online abuse. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/eDCsMy-T We'd love for you to share it too ✨ #EndOnlineAbuse #BeSafeOnline