FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, October 4, 2024
On Friday, October 4, the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) joined UltraViolet and more than twenty-five major civil society organizations in releasing an open letter to the CEOs of six social media companies. We are urging Meta, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit to strengthen their AI policies to fight digital sexual violence and online hate including sexism, racism, and anti-LGBTQ+ disinformation and abuse.
The letter warns that women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people are uniquely at risk of experiencing adverse impacts of AI content on social media, especially under these six platforms’ weak regulations of AI-generated content. To fill that gap, the letter outlines twelve specific steps these companies should take toward adopting more transparent, clear, and robust AI policies that explicitly address risks posed to people with marginalized gender identities.
The letter points to comprehensive research demonstrating the specific harms that AI-based systems, manipulated content, disinformation, scams, and algorithms have on women, girls and LGBTQ+ people, including:
- How they are most likely to be targets of sexual AI-based manipulation, which is a form of sexual abuse. Specifically, at least 90% of victims of AI-facilitated image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) are women;
- How women public figures such as celebrities and journalists are more likely to be targets of sexist and political disinformation than their male counterparts, which is increasingly being spread via AI-based content and search algorithms;
- How most researched AI systems hold a gender bias against women and girls and revert to sexist stereotypes;
- How older women are most likely to be targets of AI-powered scams and crimes;
- How women with intersecting marginalized gender identities are most likely to be targeted by disinformation, which is increasingly being spread via AI-based content and search algorithms.
The letter, organized by UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist organization, is addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. The letter was signed by more than 25 civil society organizations, including Accountable Tech; Digital Defense Fund; GLAAD; My Image My Choice; National Organization for Women; National Women’s Law Center, and others.
The twelve recommendations include guidance on classifying AI-based content under existing policies, creating more comprehensive disclosure and labeling for AI content, increasing users’ ability to flag and report harmful content, expanding resource platforms for people targeted by explicit non-consensual deepfake pornography, and providing comprehensive annual audits of AI-content.
This effort is the latest in the SVPA’s work to prevent digital sexual violence. Our other efforts include the DEFIANCE Act, our Letter to the Department of Education, the 5 R’s of Digital Bystander Intervention, and our Framework for the Systemic Prevention of Digital Sexual Violence.
“Lack of accountability by Big Tech is causing big harm to women and girls,” declared Christian F. Nunes, President of the National Organization for Women. Women are the first to be exploited, attacked, and abused online in the most invasive ways possible—and with AI, what’s possible changes every day. Fighting sexism and misogyny must be integral to social media’s business model—their customers demand it.”
“Women, girls, and queer people have always had to suffer from sexually explicit harassment, non-consensual exploitation, and targeted disinformation and abuse; but AI-based technology has radically changed and supercharged these harms into a national epidemic,” explained Jenna Sherman, Campaign Director at UltraViolet. “These harms silence us online, violate our right to control our own image, and distort our elections—but worse, they normalize and even algorithmically codify sexual exploitation and reinforce harmful stereotypes about gender, sexuality, and consent. There are solutions—and Big Tech platforms can and must do better to protect women, girls and LGBTQ+ people online. We deserve safety in these spaces, and right now, our safety is not being taken seriously.”
“Digital sexual violence is the most rapidly increasing form of sexual violence. Stronger policies from Big Tech companies to keep AI-based content in check will protect victims across the country and prevent these harms before they happen. By advising social media platforms, we are addressing the issue at the root and spurring systemic action to prevent digital harm. As a victim of deepfake pornography, I strongly believe in the ability of the letter’s twelve outlined steps to support survivors and enforce tech accountability,” said Omny Miranda Martone, Founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA).
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About the SVPA
The Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) is a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing sexual violence systemically. You can learn more about our organization on our website or in our impact report.
