Blog 5- Privacy in the Digital Age (or Lack Thereof)

 

As a young woman in this digital age, it can be scary. Really scary. Meeting people through dating apps, social media, or pretty much anywhere on the internet can feel unsafe. Honestly, even talking to people you know personally online can feel unsafe. Sending "revealing" photos to someone you care about and trust can be used against you for blackmail or revenge. In some cases, women haven't even been aware they were being photographed as they are asleep or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Darieth Chisolm's story stuck with me, and I have thought about it a lot since first watching her video. Her story about her case and her unfortunate experience with "revenge porn" or digital domestic violence is something that can affect me and all women my age. It is a much bigger issue than most people think. According to Darieth's statistics one in twenty five women are impacted. One in ten women under 30 years of age are impacted. As an 18 year old, I have personally seen the harsh reality of digital domestic abuse at work. 

Revenge porn or digital domestic violence is defined as "the sharing of explicit or sexual, images or videos, without the consent of the person in the image." People all over the world have fallen victim to this disgusting invasion of privacy, and our government is not working to fix the problem. The United States government is allowing perpetrators to walk free or only have a simple misdemeanor or fine, while suicide rates increase and these women must suffer through pain depression, and silence. In 2018 (when Darieth's video was filmed), there was only one federal bill pending concerning this problem. The Enough Act was unfortunately not passed. Women fall victim to digital domestic violence now more than ever as our world becomes more technology focused everyday. The government should be passing bills like the Enough Act to keep women safe from online harassment. Darieth argues that the United States needs to have "clear, tough enforcement." We need to "demand accountability and responsiveness from online companies." We need to "promote social responsibilities for posting, sharing, and texting and restore dignity to victims."

Pertaining to this specific problem, victims should not be blamed. As a society, we should teach people of all ages not to spread intimate photos to others they were not directly sent to. Most would say that a way to protect women or anyone at risk for being sexually harassed online is to never send any intimate or risque pictures, but it is not always that simple. While everyone should always make sure they trust the person they are talking to online and make sure they are who they say they are, we should not be censored on what we can send. We are living in a society that basically tells young women it is their fault that their pictures got leaked. Where is the blame for the individual begging for the pictures, threatening to hurt the victim or themselves if they didn't send them or the individual that took advantage of someone asleep or in a vulnerable position due to drugs or alcohol? Young women should not be asking what they should do to protect themselves from invasions of privacy like this, but society should be highlighting how disgusting these perpetrators and predators are through the enforcement of harsh punishment and repercussions to decrease the risk of this harassment happening in the first place.