More S’pore victims of online harms like harassment, doxxing sought help in 2024

The number of people who sought help from a support centre for being harassed online and having their personal information and images shared on social media platforms almost doubled from 2023 to 2024.

SheCares@SCWO, which helps victims of online harm, saw 32 victims of doxxing in 2024, up from 13 in 2023. For harassment and cyber bullying, the number rose from 48 in 2023 to 80 in 2024. Doxxing refers to one’s identity or private information being deliberately published online without consent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

The number of victims who experienced image-based sexual abuse, which refers to the non-consensual sharing of intimate or sexually explicit images or videos, rose from 27 to 46 from 2023 to 2024.

Overall, SheCares@SCWO helped 158 people in 2024, up from 99 in 2023, which was its first year of operations. Half of the victims who reached out to the centre experienced multiple online harms at once.

These latest figures were released by SG Her Empowerment (SHE) in a new report on online harms, in conjunction with the organisation’s annual symposium on Feb 24.

The event was held at YWCA Fort Canning and attended by women’s groups and partners of SHE.

The rise in reported cases of tech-facilitated sexual abuse is also seen at the Association of Women for Action and Research’s (Aware) Sexual Assault Care Centre, which supports victims of sexual offences.

In 2023, Aware received 113 cases of sexual violence involving technology. Of these, there was a 19 per cent increase in cases involving image-based sexual abuse compared with 2021.

SheCares@SCWO, which is run by SHE and the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations, offers a helpline for those seeking support and counselling, and free legal guidance for victims.

The centre also works with the police to expedite cases of severe online harms, and flags harmful content to major online platforms like Meta, X and TikTok to fast-track its takedown.

A recent study by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) found that most social media companies took an average of five days or more to act on user reports of harmful content.

With the help of SHE’s direct flagging to online platforms, 45 per cent of posts that harm its clients are taken down within 24 hours, while more than 70 per cent are taken down within 72 hours.

Nine out of 10 of the centre’s clients are female. Male survivors seen at the centre largely face sextortion, which refers to threats to distribute explicit content unless a sum of money is paid.

SHE chief operating officer How Kay Lii said the rise in cases of online harm has partly been due to outreach and more awareness over the past two years.

“However, we also know that there is severe underreporting, because negative online behaviour has been normalised and we know in our outreach that there are many more victim-survivors out there,” she said.

“They may also lack knowledge about their legal options or self-help tools. So we do encourage more people to come forward and to contribute to the discussion so that we can create a safer and healthier digital space for everyone,” she added.

SHE launched its online guide on navigating online harms at the one-day symposium, which consisted of panel discussions on misogyny in online spaces, and workshops on supporting targets of online harms.

The guide offers advice on where to get help for those facing online harms, and how to spot and help a loved one facing these harms.

Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, who spoke at the event, said that generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has rapidly become part of the daily lives of many and has transformed how people work and interact.

However, gen AI has also enabled increasingly convincing deepfakes – a prevalent problem, she said. Deepfakes are videos, pictures or audio clips made with AI to look real.

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

Ms Rahayu said: “How deeply violating it must be of one’s dignity and privacy, to see your face on an obscene image that is published publicly. How distressing must be the thought that your school, employer or family members might see it.

“And how helpless one must feel, being unable to control how these pictures might spread and lurk on the internet forever.”

“Unless we wholeheartedly reject deepfake nudes as a society, they can also erode our social norms,” she added.

She said the Government has been working to enhance frameworks to better regulate the online space and protect victims from online abuse.

The Broadcasting Act was amended in 2023 to regulate online communication services like social media, by allowing the IMDA to issue directions to disable access for Singapore users to egregious content.

From March 31, IMDA will also roll out a new code that requires app stores to prevent users aged below 18 from downloading apps meant for adults, like those with sexual content.

Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, who spoke at the closing of the event, said that building a safer and more inclusive environment for women and girls goes beyond having stronger legal protections. Underlying societal norms and beliefs must also be tackled, she said.

“Deeply embedded norms influence how women are treated in society, how women are spoken to in the online and offline space, how women’s contributions are valued – or devalued – in everyday life,” Ms Sun said.

“If left unchallenged, harmful attitudes perpetuate harmful behaviours that limit women’s freedom, agency and ability to thrive.”

Mindset shifts must start from a young age, she said, noting that character and citizenship education lessons in schools address such gender stereotypes.

The Government has also taken steps to support men and women in pursuing their full potential, she added, through flexible work arrangements, increasing shared parental leave and paternity leave, and introducing workplace fairness legislation.

These initiatives underscore a crucial point that women’s development and progress are not and should not be at the expense of men, Ms Sun added.

“Male allies and partners are a vital part of our endeavour and we recognise that true progress can only happen when everyone – both women and men – work together to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes, working together for the betterment of all – men and women.”

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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