In an effort to combat the increasing incidents of online violence targeted at women and children and bridge digital inequalities, Tech Societal, a digital safety, rights, and society advocacy group, organized an online safety workshop on Tuesday. The workshop aimed to educate civil society organizations, government sexual assault referral centers, and other participants on digital safety measures.
During the event, Sylvia Musalagani, the Head of Safety Africa, Middle East, and Turkey at Meta, emphasized the importance of ensuring safety for women and children online. Musalagani highlighted the prevalence of non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which disproportionately affects women. Disturbing data also revealed that children and minors are exposed to risks such as sexual abuse, rape threats, and violence online.
Musalagani discussed Meta’s policies, tools, and technologies designed to promote safety for vulnerable groups online. She mentioned platforms like MyDigitalWorld and Parents Education Hub, which are utilized to raise awareness about safety and prevent online crimes. The Meta representative emphasized the company’s commitment to building communities while prioritizing safety. Musalagani mentioned that accounts sharing malicious content on Meta platforms are taken down, and Meta employs sophisticated detection technology, AI, and collaborations with law enforcement agencies and centers for missing children to combat online crimes.