Connected against harm: A Kenyan-German exchange on tech-facilitated gender-based violence

Online violence disproportionately affects women, leading to self-censorship and driving those affected out of digital spaces. Since the main arenas of this violence – social media and large platforms – are operated by transnational corporations, international exchange is necessary.

There is a need for transnational standards, due diligence obligations and accountability mechanisms for intermediaries. Internationally coordinated initiatives can increase pressure on platforms to implement effective protection, reporting and moderation functions.

Sharing tools for safer digital spaces

During a first exchange, KICTANet and bff shared their research findings and practical approaches. KICTANet first outlined TFGBV in Kenya (definitions, impact, legal framework, advocacy, measures) and presented research on “unmasking trolls”, which led to the development of its own TFGBV tracking tools.

In a subsequent exchange, KICTANet presented the evidence-based OGBV Tracker, explaining its data structure, human verification, and the burden of harmful content on moderators. Bff then disseminated the tracker within its network. In addition, KICTANet presented the creation of multilingual lexicons in six local Kenyan languages that monitor gender-based violence on social media and are already being used by large online platforms.

Monitoring compliance with the EU Digital Services Act

Bff contributed the German/EU perspective, sharing on the Digital Services Act (DSA), national definitions of illegal content, reporting channels, out-of-court dispute resolution, and transparency reports. Later, bff reported on monitoring activities on Snapchat and a porn platform within the DSA framework. Both sides criticised the
inadequate risk analyses of many platforms and pointed out cultural blind spots in the evaluation of platforms where gender-based violence is particularly prevalent.

Bff has recently published a study on the impact of the DSA on platform monitoring of digital violence. This policy paper on the DSA examines where large online platforms are failing to apply the requirements of the DSA. Bff observed that many of the very large online platforms and search engines affected by the DSA use overly narrow
or incomplete definitions of gender-based violence and largely ignore intersectional perspectives, leading to incomplete reporting and a lack of accountability on the part of platforms.

The exchanges will be continued to further discuss measures for combatting online gender-based violence that can be implemented on different levels.