Harassment helpline received 2,302 complaints during 2 years

Islamabad : Majority of complaints received by the Cyber Harassment Helpline managed by Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) in past two years were by women.

Details of the data collected by the Helpline on nature and extent of the problem of online harassment were shared in the report titled ‘Cyber Harassment Helpline Two Years Report’ launched on Tuesday. The report also contains recommendations for public bodies to improve their institutional response to online harassment.

During this period, the Helpline received 2,302 complaints from December 1, 2016, till November 30, 2018, with an average of 91 calls each month. Around 59 per cent of the calls at the Helpline were by women, whereas 41 per cent of the callers were men--however, it is important to note that several men were calling on behalf of women. Facebook is the most widely used platform in Pakistan, which is reflected in the fact that 29 per cent of the helpline callers experienced harassment there.

Majority of the calls were received from Punjab (57 per cent). The Helpline also received calls from Sindh (15 per cent), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (3 per cent), Balochistan (1 per cent), Azad Kashmir and FATA (1 per cent) and the Federal Capital, Islamabad (5 per cent).

Biggest number of complaints was of non-consensual usage of information. These cases involved using, sharing disseminating, and manipulating data such as photographs, phone numbers, contact details, and other personal information. The second most common calls involved blackmailing which often entails using an individual’s personal information and psychological manipulation to make threats and demands. Other most common cases include hacking and unsolicited contact.

The report says that in the past two months, the helpline has experienced an influx of calls relating to mobile based scams that prey on the trust of individuals. One of the most common types involves deception to gain WhatsApp codes of mobile users, which in turn leads to the hacking of their WhatsApp account. The scammers claim to be from a legitimate organizations ranging from television game shows, Pakistan Army, government departments and telecommunications companies.

The Cyber Harassment Helpline was launched on December 1, 2016, and is the regions first dedicated helpline that addresses issues of online abuse and violence by providing a free, safe, gender-sensitive and confidential service. The Helpline provides legal advice, digital security support, psychological counselling and a proper referral network to complainants of online harassment. The toll-free number [0800-39393] is available every day from 9 am to 5 pm.

The report says that with the proliferation of internet and digital technologies, there has been a gap regarding the experience of women who were being targeted in the online spaces and the institutional attention being accorded to it. Extensive research has shown that online harassment can have serious and long term repercussion on mental health. DRF research has demonstrated that online harassment can take a psychological toll that manifests itself in depression, chronic stress, generalized anxiety, mistrust, withdrawal as well as insecurity. In Pakistan, there have been unfortunate cases where harassment and blackmailing have resulted in suicide.

DRF survey reveals that 34 per cent of women who were surveyed in ‘Hamara Internet’ project experienced online harassment and abuse whereas 70 per feared that they were afraid of posting their pictures on line out of the fear that it might get misused.