Several victims of online damage such as harassment, doxxing has sought help in 2024

Singapore – The number of people who have sought help from an assistance center to be harassed online and to share their personal information and images on almost doubled social platforms from 2023 to 2024.

Shecares@scwo, a center that helps victims of online damage, saw 32 customers for doxxing in 2024, until 13 in 2023. For harassment and cyberbullying, the number increased from 48 customers in 2023 to 80 in 2024.

Doxxing refers to the time when private identity or information is deliberately published online, without consent to cause harassment, alarm or suffering.

The number of customers who have experienced sex -based sexual abuses, which refer to the unconscious sharing of intimate or explicit sexual images or videos, increased from 27 to 46 from 2023 to 2024.

Generally, shecares@scwo helped 158 people in 2024, increasing from 99 in 2023, which was the first year of operations. Half of the clients in the center experience several online damage simultaneously.

These last digits were launched by SG Empowerment (SHA) in a new report on online damages, in collaboration with the annual symposium of the organization on February 24.

The event took place at the Ywca Fort Canning and attended by groups of women and partners.

The increase of cases reported in sexually facilitated sexual abuse is also observed at the Awice’s sexual aggression care, which supports victims of sexual crimes.

In 2023, the conscious received 113 cases of sexual violence involving technology. Of these cases, there was an increase of 19 percent in cases involving sexual abuse based on images, compared to 2021.

Shecares@scwo, which is led by her and the Council of Women’s Organizations in Singapore, offers assistance for those who request support, counseling and free legal guidance for victims.

Also, the center works with the police to accelerate cases of severe online damage and flags harmful contents for major online platforms, such as Meta, X and Tiktok, to quickly follow their withdrawal.

A Recent study by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) He found that most social companies took on average five days or more to act on harmful users’ reports.

With a direct signaling to online platforms, 45 % of the positions that harm customers are eliminated in 24 hours, while more than 70 % are taken in 72 hours.

Nine out of 10 of the center’s customers are women. The male survivors seen in the center are largely experiencing sex -torsion, which refers to threats to distribute the explicit content, unless a sum of money is paid.

Director of operating at it How Kay Lii He said that the increase of online injury cases has been partially due to information and more awareness in the last two years.

“However, we also know that there is a severe sub-regporting, because the negative online behavior has been normalized and we know in our sensitization that there are many others more victims survivors there,” she said.

“Also, they may not have knowledge about their legal options or self-help instruments. Therefore, we encourage more people to introduce themselves and contribute to discussions, so we can create a safer and healthier digital space for everyone. “

She launched her online guide on navigating online damage to The day symposium, which consisted of discussions with groups about misogyny in online spaces and workshops to support targets of online damages.

guide Provides tips on where to get help for those who are facing online and how to observe and help a loved person to face these damages.

The State Minister for Digital Development and Information, Rahayu Mahzam, who spoke to the event, said that the generative artificial intelligence (like) has quickly become part of many daily life and transformed how people work and interact. .

However, the genre has also allowed more and more convincing Deepfakes – a predominant problem, she said. Deepfakes are videos, images or audio clips made with artificial intelligence to look real.

In November 2024, Police have investigated nude deepfake photos of Singapore Sports School students which were created and spread by other students.

Mrs. Rahayu said: “How deeply breaches should be from someone’s dignity and confidentiality, to see your face on an obscene image that is published publicly. How disturbing should be the thought that school, employer or family members could see it?

“And how helpless it has to feel, unable to control how these images could spread and break on the Internet forever.”

“Unless we reject with all our hearts as a society, they can erode our social norms,” ​​she added.

She said the government worked to improve the cadres to better regulate the online space and to protect victims against online abuse.

The Broadcasting Law was amended in 2023 to regulate online communication services, such as social media, allowing IMDA to issue indications to disable access to users in Singapore to improper content.

from March 31, Imda will also Run a new code This requires application stores to prevent users under the age of 18 from downloading adult applications, such as those with sexual content.

The State Minister for Sun Xueling social and family development, who spoke at the closing of the event, said that building a safer and more inclusive environment for women and girls exceeds stronger legal protection.

She said that the societal norms and beliefs that underlie.

“The deeply incorporated rules influence how women are treated in society, as women are spoken in online and offline, how women are appreciated – or devalued – in everyday life,” said Mrs. Sun.

“If they are left unquestionably, harmful attitudes perpetuate harmful behaviors that limit freedom, agency and ability to prosper.”

Changes in mentality must start from an early age, said that he mentioned that lessons and citizenship education in schools approach such gender stereotypes.

The government also made measures to support men and women in pursuing their maximum potential, she added, through flexible work arrangements, to increase the paternity leave and the paternity leave and to introduce the legislation on the job.

These initiatives emphasize a crucial point that the development and progress of women are not and should not be to the detriment of men, Mrs. Sun added.

“Men’s allies and partners are a vital part of our effort and we recognize that true progress can only happen when everyone – both women and men – work together to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes, working together to improve everyone. – men and women. ”

• Syarafana Shafeeq is social business journalist at The Straits Times.

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