Platforms failed to stop death threats against activists, report says
Advocates against the sexualisation of girls in media detail the abuse and threats of violence they received after petitioning for the removal of video games featuring gendered violence.
Collective Shout, a women's rights organization, has documented a series of death threats and abusive behavior they faced after successfully campaigning to remove violent video games from online platforms. The women involved in the group experienced graphic depictions of gender-based violence, including deepfake images of themselves being harmed.
The report, released by Collective Shout and commissioned by the Online Hate Prevention Institute, revealed that the abuse was driven by misogyny and disinformation. Tech platforms were unable or unwilling to stop the coordinated attacks, which targeted the group's safety and that of their families. The abuse was initially sparked by payment processors requiring video game content to follow payment policies, leading to a backlash from thousands of individuals.
Regarding the issue, Elon Musk endorsed a petition on X urging payment platforms to reverse their decision. The OHPI report called for immediate identification of misogynistic and hate speech content, urging media organizations to debunk misinformation.
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