NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Have you ever sat through an exercise and received an AirDrop notification indicating that you regretted opening the exercise?What if an unwanted photo was sent to a dating app exchange?
If so, you’re not alone. It’s called cyber-flashing, and for many women, it’s a troubling and all-too-common experience.
Crime takes over public transport: In 2020, data revealed that reports of cyberattacks on the UK Transport Police had almost doubled in 12 months.
For years, activists have called for more action to fight harassment.
And now, a new law has led to the first conviction for this crime after a man sent unsolicited nudes to a teenage girl and her via WhatsApp.
But is it enough to prevent cyber flashing?
The term refers to a form of sexual harassment in which a user sends unsolicited sexual or nude photographs on social media or equipment such as Bluetooth or AirDrop.
Cases of cyberflash, when sexually specific photographs are sent online without your consent, have increased in recent years.
48% of seniors aged 18 to 24 claim to have gained a sexual photo without their consent.
The challenge is even more prevalent among adolescent girls: according to one study, 76% of women between the ages of 12 and 18 have gotten unwanted nudity from both boys and men.
Presenter and activist Jess Davies, 30, said she had gained a lot of private and unsolicited photographs and videos of men since she started being active on social media at 18.
“When I talked about it, they made comments like ‘those are just jokes’ and ‘you only care because those guys are good-looking,'” she told Metro. co. uk in 2022.
“I know firsthand what this can have on victims, how it can make one feel ashamed, and how much society likes to blame victims,” he added.
“If thousands of men marched through the streets every day, we would do more and I don’t see why it would be any different. “
One of the simplest tactics for you against a stranger’s cyber flash is to replace your phone’s AirDrop or Bluetooth settings.
If you get an unwanted sex symbol while riding public transport, the UK Transport Police’s recommendation is to take a screenshot of the photo and then tap on it to 101 or text 61016.
The Online Safety Act, which came into force in January, has made cyberattacks a crime in England and Wales.
The law also introduced new regulations prohibiting the sharing of “deepfake” nudes (photographs that have been manipulated or created with synthetic intelligence) and “down-blusing” (taking a photograph of a woman’s most sensitive part without her consent).
People can be convicted if their unwanted photographs cause concern, misery, or humiliation to the victim.
Offenders can simply be placed on the sex offender registry, fined, or sentenced to criminal penalties of up to two years.
Journalist Sophie Gallagher told Metro. co. uk that the conviction is significant because there has long been a disparity between the way we handle flash between users and online.
“This newfound trust and the creation of a new law shows that as a society, we accept that other people can be harmed in the virtual world and that this has consequences, as our lives move more and more online,” he says.
However, Gallagher cautioned that, as with all laws, the new regulations would only be effective if law enforcement was trained to perceive the law and know how to enforce it.
“Considering the extraordinarily low conviction rates for other sex crimes, such as rape, there is no hope that this new cyber law will bring about radical change.
“However, we hope that the creation of a new law will say from a societal point of view ‘this is appropriate behavior’ and force a debate on how to teach young people and children about these new strategies of sexual violence,” she said.
Cyber-flash has been in Scotland since 2010.
However, several campaigners have said that the Scottish law is not passed enough due to the low conviction rate. In Scotland, one in 20 cyberattacks report effects on a conviction.
Singapore was one of the first countries in the world to crack down on cyber flashing when it made it illegal in May 2019, along with upskirting and revenge.
Some countries, such as Scotland, have express laws against cyberflashing, but their broader legislation against sexual harassment and violence offers protection.
The European Union has announced that it will introduce new regulations against online violence against women, adding cyberflash.
There is no federal government that opposes cyber-flash in the United States, but some states have taken steps to oppose it.
Texas and California have laws opposing cyber flashing, while Virginia and New York State are enforcing laws that punish cyber flashing.
In New Hampshire, cyber-flash is a crime.
A guy who sent unsolicited nudes on WhatsApp became the first user in England and Wales to be convicted of cyber-flash in February 2024.
Nicholas Hawke, from Basildon, Essex, sent photographs of his erect penis to a 15-year-old woman on Feb. 9 without her consent.
They took screenshots of the symbol and reported it to the police.
Hawke was arrested and charged with two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitalia to cause alarm or distress. He was also charged with violating a sexual harm prevention order.
He pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was convicted in February.
The 39-year-old is a registered sex offender after being convicted of sexual activity with a 16-year-old boy and exposure at Basildon Crown Court last year and won a net warrant.
It will remain on the list until November 2033.
Indecent exposure occurs when a user shows their genitals to frighten or disappoint other people.
Often, the user is temporarily exposed before hiding or fleeing.
Indecent exposure is known as “exposure” or “flash. “
Cyber-flash is a form of indecent display that occurs online rather than in person; However, prior to the new law, this was not treated as a criminal offense.
Now, the law clearly explains that cyber-flash is illegal.
Sefer Mani, Crown Prosecutor at CPS East England, said: “Cyberflash is an appalling crime and the fact that we have been able to quickly bring justice to any of the victims shows that the new law is working.
“Everyone deserves to feel where they are and not be subjected to unwanted sexual images.
“I urge those who believe they have been victims of a cyber-flash to report it to the police and know that they will be taken seriously and that their identity will be protected. “
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