Before it becomes obscured by political crosstalk, there needs to be a deeper examination of digital gender-based violence (GBV), a problem that requires a robust response.
The issue was raised by prime minister-designate Stuart Young at a People’s National Movement (PNM) National Women’s League’s International Women’s Day event in Chaguanas on Saturday.
Young’s pledge to introduce legislation to target irresponsible use of social media by individuals who target women, made for a good talking point when issues affecting women and girls were in the spotlight.
However, the “if elected” conditionality that accompanied the pledge adds a degree of uncertainty in response to a problem enabled by constantly evolving technology and the anonymity social media provides to predators.
In the vast digital space, much of it lacking safeguards and checks, abusers find all kinds of ways to infiltrate the computers and phones of victims, subjecting them to cyberstalking, cyberbullying, sextortion, trolling and other criminal acts.
Another ever-present peril is deepfake abuse, where manipulated images or videos can result in lasting and devastating reputational damage.
These and other forms of digital GBV, crimes committed using smartphones, computers, chatrooms, social networking sites, online gaming sites, GPS trackers, and video streaming platforms, are best tackled with tougher legislation and other remedies that provide greater protections and institutional support to victims.
It was unfortunate that the matter was raised in a manner that added an unnecessary political dimension. The Opposition United National Congress’ response suggests there is little chance of it being seriously tackled as a national issue and is more likely to be limited to pre-election PNM-UNC exchanges.
That is unfortunate because, with increasing frequency, abusers have been using online channels to bully, harass, stalk and intimidate victims — committing crimes that do not involve in-person contact but still inflict a heavy mental and emotional toll.
Since many victims of digital GBV don’t report incidents to the police, in all likelihood this crime is much more prevalent than official T&T Police Service (TTPS) statistics indicate.
By raising the issue, Mr Young, who is just days away from occupying the Office of the Prime Minister, made it a possible agenda item should he be elected later this year. That means much-needed legal and administrative mechanisms are subject to an election timeline and the possibility of being crowded out by more politically expedient election campaign topics.
The need for stronger legislation, supported by relevant institutional framework, is well known, but like so many pressing needs in this country, has not progressed beyond talk.
At present, there is no Cybercrime Act in T&T, so prosecution of digital GBV relies on various laws, including the Summary Offences Act, Chapter 11:02, Section 106, which addresses the misuse of telephones; the Offence Against a Person Act, Chapter 11:08, which deals with harassment; and the Computer Misuse Act, Chapter 11:17, among others.
This leaves plenty of legal loopholes to be exploited, with perpetrators getting ample opportunities to weaponise technology to harm women and girls.
What is even more frightening is the potential for online abuse to escalate beyond computer and phone screens, threatening the safety of victims on and offline.
This is not a matter that should be subjected to the uncertainties of an election cycle and is too serious to be just a convenient political talking point.