Tech Without Violence is a collaboration between the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW) and the Youth Services Bureau’s Purple Sisters Youth Advisory Committee, with support from Status of Women Canada. Developed by the Purple Sisters—a group of Ottawa youth dedicated to bringing attention to issues facing young women in their community—this new online hub provides practical information for young social media users and key recommendations social media platforms can use to address and prevent cyberviolence. This project focuses on five of the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Tumblr.
We believe all forms of gender-based violence and harassment can be prevented by harnessing the expertise of young women and LGBTQ youth, and through collaboration with the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
We call on social media platforms and other members of the ICT sector to take comprehensive action to address cyberviolence, including:
Prevention – Preventing cyberviolence is possible with mechanisms such as content filtering (Eg. blocking violent content) or public education on the impact of cyberviolence and bystander intervention.
Response – Online media platforms must have mechanisms in place for users to seek redress if an incident of cyberviolence occurs.
Privacy – Increased privacy—particularly around online media users’ whereabouts and personal information—is essential to keeping youth safe online.
Support – Like those experiencing violence and harassment offline, individuals experiencing cyberviolence require increased information on and access to legal and psychological supports.