Online safety - the failure to protect women
The recent Ofcom proposed measures to protect children and young people online are being hailed as the first real attempt to truly hold online services to account. Whilst a welcome move from the government watchdog, the recent conviction and sentencing of Gavin Plumb also highlights that similar measures are needed to safeguard and protect women.
WhatsApp End-to-end Encryption
The end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp and an open access Kik group ‘Abduct Lovers’ enabled Plumb to share his graphic plans to abduct TV presenter Holly Willoughby. In the Kik group, which had 50 active members of ‘like-minded people’, Plumb detailed and discussed on the forum how he would take her to an abandoned building to rape her and slit her throat, then dispose of her body in a lake. The use of WhatsApp also enabled Plumb to share similar graphic messages without any external scrutiny, not even from the service provider. WhatsApp have confirmed they cannot read end to end encrypted messages, so currently there is no possibility of moderation or detection.
How Gavin Plumb's Online Behaviour was Identified
Plumb’s online behaviour was discovered by an undercover US policeman covertly operating in the Kik forum which resulted in an alert to UK law enforcement. Although claiming that he never intended any actual harm to occur, Plumb was found guilty of soliciting murder, inciting rape and inciting kidnap, and sentenced to serve a minimum of 16 years. Thankfully the discovery of Plumb’s actions were uncovered but as Detective Chief Inspector of Essex Police, Greg Wood highlighted ‘There isn’t an undercover law enforcement officer in every chatroom’.
The Dangers of Unmoderated Open Forums
This case highlights the dangers of unmoderated open forums and the privacy that end-to-end encryption messaging offers fantasists and perpetrators. These mediums enable the spread of misogynistic rhetoric, encourage harmful behaviours and can lead to radicalisation. There can be no doubt, these mediums offer platforms to spread misogyny and hatred. As we have seen in other areas, dissemination of hatred and skewed agendas online can result in instigating violence.
Conclusion
The secrecy that end-to-end encryption offers and the lack of platform group moderation presents a real safeguarding issue, where misogyny and hatred can be freely expressed and criminal activity is overtly perpetrated. Whilst the Online Safety Act has been a major step forward in safeguarding, it does not effectively tackle the issue of preventing harm. Key to prevention is to make service providers accountable. As these measures are being introduced to protect children, we cannot afford to allow other groups , particularly women, to be targeted.
SSS Learning Safeguarding Director
