‘The goal is silence’: Women journalists report increasing violence online
Source: UN Women
“There are no guardrails”, says Karen Davila about popular social media platforms. “AI, like anything, can be used for good – but it can also be abused.”
Davila, an award-winning broadcast journalist and UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines, describes her experience coming face-to-anonymous-faces with online abusers in sophisticated – and disturbing – digital abuse campaigns.
Immediately following her moderation of a 2016 presidential debate in the Philippines, in a deliberate campaign to bully the press, tens of thousands of vulgar and threatening comments appeared in Davila’s social media feeds – every hour. Although it was clear the commenters were bots, the misogynistic attacks were designed by humans to damage her credibility and her sense of safety.
The campaign of online violence was a message to the country and to journalists. “They want to push you to silence so that you don’t criticize the actions of the administration”, says Davila.
“There are no guardrails”, says Karen Davila about popular social media platforms. “AI, like anything, can be used for good – but it can also be abused.”
Davila, an award-winning broadcast journalist and UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines, describes her experience coming face-to-anonymous-faces with online abusers in sophisticated – and disturbing – digital abuse campaigns.
Immediately following her moderation of a 2016 presidential debate in the Philippines, in a deliberate campaign to bully the press, tens of thousands of vulgar and threatening comments appeared in Davila’s social media feeds – every hour. Although it was clear the commenters were bots, the misogynistic attacks were designed by humans to damage her credibility and her sense of safety.
The campaign of online violence was a message to the country and to journalists. “They want to push you to silence so that you don’t criticize the actions of the administration”, says Davila.