Technology Company Policies
Setting the scene
The underlying business model of social media platforms, which is based on engagement numbers, can serve to incentivize the worst behavior and disincentivize women and marginalized groups from participating in these digital spaces.
Our research shows that women around the world are disengaging from social media platforms due to worries about their safety and privacy. This does not only have an economic impact on tech companies but can also put their legitimacy at risk. Responsibly responding to and addressing OGBV requires a reframing of priorities which involves a relocation of resources towards hiring human moderators with nuanced understanding of the cultural and linguistic contexts in which OGBV takes place, investing in AI moderation, and funding for survivors’ support.
Tech companies, both large and small, need to come together to address the complexity of OGBV. Sharing good practices, challenges, and concerns openly can enable new preventative and problem-solving frameworks. This experience needs to support the emergence of alternative social media platforms as well as other tech environments such as gaming apps and transport apps to put users’ and women’s safety at the heart of their ethos.
What are we doing about it?
Our previous series of TPDL workshops had wide-reaching impact. They resulted in some tech companies making commitments to end OGBV and informed global policy processes on malicious flagging. As we continue to focus on this crucial area, our next series of TPDL workshops will gather specialists from civil society and both established and emerging tech companies with the aim of developing clarity on the issues, and drafting blueprints for actionable steps for tech companies to prevent OGBV effectively.
Over the course of these workshops we will explore inequality between different regions, and how this affects the localization of OGBV tools and policies. We will also explore the relationships and engagement models between local authorities, NGOs and civil society. We will also be addressing the practice of prioritizing engagement over user wellbeing.
How to get involved
Upcoming workshops
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Workshop 1: Discovery and Define -
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Workshop 2: Co-design and Develop
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Workshop 3: Test & Evaluate
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