Meta launches two initiatives ensuring women’s safety on internet

The Online Safety Guide and StopNCII (Non-consensual intimate images) initiatives were launched in Pakistan by Meta as two new initiatives aimed at ensuring women’s safety on the internet.

This important safety advisory, which is available in English and Urdu, is expected to encourage digital literacy and responsible online behavior among users, making it easier for women to connect and express themselves online freely.

As part of its efforts to equip and prepare users for the complexities of the digital world, Meta has recently developed a safety guide, now available at Meta’s Safety Centre. Meta is used by millions of Pakistanis to connect and pursue shared interests.

However, it is always good to update oneself on issues around online harassment, unwanted messages and a range of fraudulent and criminal activities in the online space.

Meta has policies and systems in place to tackle online violence against women, aided by awareness programs to enable and empower them to defend themselves against unscrupulous elements online.

The safety guide features all the tools around safety available on Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp and explains how women can adopt them for safer internet use and protect themselves from criminal & fraudulent activities.

Keeping the focus on safety, StopNCII was developed with Meta’s expert guidance and funding in collaboration with a global NGO partner —the UK Revenge Porn Helpline — to stop the sharing of non-consensual intimate images (NCII), often referred to as Revenge Porn. 

StopNCII.org has a global footprint and currently services people through regional partners that advocate for local victims. It uses the latest innovative technology to block compromising photos and videos proactively from spreading online.

Meta has localised StopNCII into an Urdu portal as well that can be used by users concerned for their online safety and privacy to initiate a case. Once the case is initiated, Meta can proactively block the spread of the compromising images and videos before they can spread online. 

The technology doesn’t require the images to leave the person’s device, instead only the hash or numerical code is shared with the platform. The portal also integrates information and vital voices of survivors, experts, advocates, and tech partners of Meta for women seeking help and guidance.

Meta’s partner organisation in Pakistan, Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) organised an online roundtable in connection with the launch of the StopNCII portal in Urdu. The participants of the roundtable included representatives from civil society organisations, regional experts from Meta, digital experts and rights activists

Women and vulnerable social media users can use Meta’s dedicated Safety Hub “Safety@Facebook”, also available in the Urdu language, to access the necessary information and safety tools for a safe online experience.