Tag Archives: Anti-Defamation League

Online reputation management, , , , , , , ,
General Data Protection Regulation

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has hired its first director of technology and society, Brittan Heller, to collaborate with tech companies to combat online harassment. It’s an important step for helping companies stop online abuse.

In this excellent New York Times interview by Anna North, Ms. Heller offers advice for others dealing with harassment online:

Part of the power that the harassers have is they like to make people feel isolated, and sometimes part of the ongoing harm of these kind of crimes is that you feel like there’s no meaningful way for you to fight back, there’s no way for you to adequately speak out against what’s happening to you.

I would not let the harassment take your voice away. You can talk to family, teachers and friends about what you’re experiencing and what you’ve seen. You can be a support for other people experiencing the same thing, and you can call out people who are trying to incite hate online. Also, educate yourself. Look at the terms of service or community guidelines for the type of platforms and social media that you’re using, and find out what kind of site that company wants to run. Most say that they don’t wish to host hateful content.”

ADL’s website publishes extensive resources at Combating Hate, including best practices for responding to cyber abuse. Additional information is available at Stop Cyberbullying, a Federal government website.

 
 
Online reputation management, , , , , ,

Teenagers are fluent social media users. Many are adept at managing their online reputations and are careful about what they reveal online.

But social media leads some into uncomfortable situations that can harm their future opportunities. As a parent, relative, neighbor, sibling or peer, you can help them avoid that.

These sometimes harrowing predicaments can cause embarrassment, shame and fear, and make teens feel helpless or trapped in a situation that can spiral out of their control – and even endanger them. Carelessness, as well as common adolescent traits like not knowing how to handle a crowd situation or being overly trusting, can contribute to such issues.

Common issues they experience include:

–          Joking about harming a teacher or peer in an email or text. Schools increasingly have rules that require immediate suspension as well as contacting the police when such material comes to light.

–          Exchanging, taking or being the recipient of nude photographs or videos that go viral, being published on many online sites without their permission. This can lead to a criminal investigation, even if they were not directly involved in taking them, but were only present when they were. It can also result in what is known as “revenge porn.”

–          Cyberbullying. The FBI publishes resources online to help educate potential victims about it. There are many other online resources, as well.  One comprehensive such site is the Anti-Defamation League’s, which has extensive guides to help teens deflect and otherwise navigate cyberbullying.

If you have teenagers, or children approaching adolescence, visiting such sites and learning about the issues is the first step in communicating to them that you can always be approached if they have a concern and need help. If they fear you will be judgmental, are not available or will become angry, they will avoid letting you know if it does happen to them. If you feel they may be a victim and aren’t discussing the situation, consider whether they would be more comfortable speaking to another family member, a trusted counselor or law enforcement professionals. It is not an exaggeration to say you may save their life or future opportunities by doing so.