Social Media and Privacy
From the Newsweek article: When Rape Goes Viral we see that social media is challenging us to confront sexual assault head-on. Unfortunately it is destroying the privacy and lives of victims. Read the article and discuss the privacy implications of social media and dealing with issues like the ones mentioned in the article.
The situations discussed in this article are heavily controversial subjects. In the twenty first century not only do we need to worry about heinous crimes such as rape, but we also have to worry about our private lives being publicized for people to either make a mockery of, or defend. The issue of whether or not to publicize videos and pictures of rape as evidence is just as challenging as it is controversial. If the media gets published, there is a better chance that there will be justice for the victim; however, the victim's most vulnerable moment is now all over the internet. That sudden amount of negative fame can lead to a various amount of implications which in some cases have led to suicide. In the article, When Rape Goes Viral, Harding states,
"...We have to do our best as activists and journalists to either find out what the victim would want or at least consider that question... If we don't have access to that info, we have to do our best to be empathetic and try to imagine what the victim would want."
Harding has a strong strategy for what to do in defense of the media of rape being publicized in order to protect the victim. The victim should have the right to choose whether they want this information available to the public or not; just because it increase the chance of justice does not mean that it will make the life of the victim any easier.
Hi Francesca,
ReplyDeleteYou and I share many of the same opinions about this article. I love the part you decided to quote, as I completely agree with what Harding says. The fact that assaults happened are horrifying and degrading enough, but the fact that they may have been caught on tape or photographed is an entirely new horror for the victim. I agree that while the evidence on social media can help convict a perpetrator, it doesn't necessarily mean that the victim's life will be any easier. Personally, I am of the opinion that viral videos and photos will always make their lives harder- and sometimes, it will create such difficult times that the victim will see suicide as their only answer.
I have a very similar opinion on this topic. I believe that the victim should have the right to choose whether or not these images/videos are posted online for the public to see. I agree that in some cases this evidence can actually help the victim, but in many other cases, it can really hurt the victim. I know that if something as horrifying as this happened to me, I would not want the world to see it, even if it could help persecute my attacker. Once these images/videos are posted online they are there forever and that's something that the victim would have to live with for their entire life. Personally, I see more bad than good in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. I think if that type of video or photo is posted publicly, it should be 100% consented to by the victim. It's not fair for another person to make that decision on their behalf because its traumatic enough as it is without having the entire world bear witness to it. I know if it were me, I would never want such a heinous thing out there for everyone to watch. Even if it helped a defense I wouldn't care. In my mind, I would rather have the attacker walk free than have these videos publicly shared. I know that may seem extreme but I can't imagine the humiliation these victims went through when it was publicly shared, and honestly they must have felt desperate given the fact that many commited suicide as a result.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with what you said in your post. Consent is a huge part of what should go on the internet, and if the victim feels that the video or photos should not go on in the internet, then in no way does that mean the perpetrator should post them. Clearly, the ones we read about never even considered asking for consent from the victim, so unfortunately lives could no be saved, but I think many people have learned not only from the acts of crime, but from the article as well
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