Online Survey Uncovers Prevalence of Cyberbullying against 92% of Environmental Advocates
A new survey by Global Witness has revealed that environmental defenders, who play a vital role in protecting the planet's biodiversity, are increasingly facing online abuse and harassment. The survey, conducted in 2023, found that 92% of environmental defenders have experienced some form of online abuse or harassment.
The most commonly cited platform for these attacks is Twitter, followed closely by Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. These moves by social media platforms allow for hate speech, climate denial, and death threats to proliferate, endangering the work of environmental defenders and potentially silencing them.
In recent years, many popular social media platforms have backtracked on fast checking and hate speech regulations. For instance, Twitter, formerly known as X, removed a feature that allowed users to report misleading information and hired fewer content moderators. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, ended its third-party fact-checking program and relaxed its hate speech policies. Twitter's dissolution of its Trust and Safety Council, which addressed hate speech and other issues on the platform, further exacerbates the problem.
The survey identified that online abuse against environmental defenders is relatively evenly distributed globally. However, regional disparities exist in the allocation of resources to protect these defenders. For example, 72% of European defenders received a response from social media platforms when they reported abusive and harassing behavior, compared to half of African respondents.
Environmental defenders, particularly those from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, are more likely to experience offline harm for their activities. Shockingly, 196 defenders were murdered while exercising their right to protect their lands and the environment in 2023, with 85% of all killings occurring in Latin America.
The online abuse not only affects the defenders' mental health but also their productivity. The survey found that 45% of respondents reported losing productivity as a result of online abuse. Moreover, 60% of respondents said they feel anxious about their safety due to online abuse, and 63% reported feeling fearful.
One example of the impact of online abuse is Sharanya, an NGO worker in India. Attackers use the online space for defamation and shaming, then physically threaten her offline. Doxxing, exposing someone's private information without permission, and cyberattacks, including hacking and data breaches, are also forms of online abuse experienced by environmental defenders.
The survey also revealed that 39% of 468 climate scientists had experienced online harassment related to their work, with this figure rising to 49% among more accomplished scientists. The online abuse against environmental defenders is a global issue that requires immediate attention and action from social media platforms and governments alike.
- The online attacks against environmental defenders are not just confined to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, but also extend to scientific domains, with 39% of 468 climate scientists reporting online harassment related to their work.
- Although online abuse against environmental defenders is relatively evenly distributed globally, there are regional disparities in the allocation of resources to protect these defenders, with European defenders being more likely to receive a response from social media platforms when they report abusive behavior compared to African respondents.
- The progression of online abuse not only affects the mental health and productivity of environmental defenders but also their safety, as evidenced by the case of Sharanya, an NGO worker in India, who is subjected to defamation, shaming, physical threats, doxxing, and cyberattacks.
- In the wake of climate-change and the increasing importance of environmental-science, it is concerning that many popular social media platforms have backtracked on fast-checking and hate speech regulations, allowing hate speech, climate denial, and death threats to proliferate.
- As the biodiversity of our ecosystems continues to face threats from climate-change and other human activities, it is crucial that we leverage technology and cybersecurity measures to protect environmental defenders, ensuring they can carry out their vital work safely and productively.
