Cyber Offenses Targeting Female Individuals
In the digital age, the importance of digital forensics in investigating frauds, cybercrimes, and other illegal activities has become paramount. Protecting digital evidence is crucial, as most cybercrimes are not covered by existing laws in many countries, with perpetrators often booked under various sections as understood to be appropriate by the police personnel.
One area of significant concern is cybercrimes against women, such as sexist hate speech, cyberbullying, cyber harassment, cyberstalking, doxing, digital voyeurism, and revenge porn. These crimes can cause immense distress and potential endangerment to victims, with suicide cases related to cyberbullying increasing significantly in the last decade.
Facebook, for instance, had to evaluate 54,000 potential cases of revenge porn in January 2017 and close over 14,000 accounts. Revenge porn refers to the distribution of private, sexual images or videos of a person without their consent, often with the intention to embarrass, humiliate, scare, threaten, or silence the person.
Cyberstalking is another form of digital harassment where someone is online spied upon, fixed, or compiled with their information and communicated with against their will. Online impersonation can be used to discredit targeted individuals with their social and professional peers or for criminal purposes similar to theft of offline identity. Doxing refers to the online researching and publishing of private information on the internet to publicly expose and shame the person targeted.
As the gravity of these crimes becomes more apparent, legal frameworks are evolving worldwide to address them. While laws and legal provisions vary globally, a global trend is clear: governments are increasingly penalizing online behaviours that constitute gender-based digital violence via specialized cybercrime statutes and platform regulatory laws.
In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act 2023 imposes duties on digital platforms to take action against harmful content, which includes sexist hate speech, harassment, and other abusive behaviours targeting women online. The European Union has developed a range of cybersecurity policies focusing on resilience, preparedness, and digital safety, including initiatives to elevate the role and visibility of women in cybersecurity. The EU’s approach includes harmonizing cybercrime laws and promoting legal frameworks to tackle online abuse, harassment, and hate speech.
Internationally, the UN Cybercrime Treaty seeks to standardize and strengthen international legal mechanisms to combat cybercrimes collectively, including those disproportionately affecting women such as online harassment, stalking, and non-consensual distribution of intimate images. Operation First Light by Interpol and multilateral law enforcement mobilizations have contributed to arrests and seizures related to online crimes, implying cooperation against forms of cyber exploitation and harassment.
In the United States, specific provisions targeting sexist cybercrimes vary, but the US employs a mix of criminal statutes and civil remedies for cyber harassment, stalking, doxing, and revenge porn. Enforcement agencies like the FBI are active in cybercrime investigations, though exact laws vary by state and federal jurisdiction.
In summary, while legal frameworks differ by country, a global trend is clear: governments are increasingly penalizing online behaviours that constitute gender-based digital violence via specialized cybercrime statutes and platform regulatory laws. Moreover, international cooperation and treaties are evolving to address cross-border cyber harassment and exploitation affecting women. For more specific information on a particular country's detailed legal provisions, further details are available upon request.
In the investigation of digital crimes against women, such as cyberstalking, cyberbullying, revenge porn, and doxing, digital forensics plays a significant role in gathering and safeguarding evidence. With an increasing number of cybercrimes against women, it's imperative to implement robust cybersecurity measures and technological advancements to combat these illegal activities.
