Why should I care about privacy if I have nothing to hide?

The Digital Tattoo Project team is pleased to announce that we have recently launched an online badging system. This was made possible through a collaboration with Open Badges UBC, a pilot project pioneering badge-based learning pathways in three programs.

The badges you can currently earn through the Digital Tattoo Project are Subscriber, Awareness, Community, Contributor and Creator.

Log in with your CWL and start earning badges now!

A recent study by the Pew Research Institute revealed that 40% of Internet users have experienced online harassment. Among young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, 70% cited that they had experienced some form of abuse online. A disturbing trend showed that women were far more likely to have experienced severe forms of  abuse – among women aged 18 to 24, 26% responded that they had been stalked online, and 25% had experienced sexual harassment.

A quick scan of recent headlines seems to confirm these findings. In August 2014, hundreds of private nude photos of female celebrities were leaked online and posted on the Internet forum 4chan, in an event that became known as “Celebgate”. While many took to social media to express their support for the stars, others blamed the women for having their photos leaked, asking why they had posed nude in the first place. Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, one of the highest-profile victims of the leak, later said in an interview with Vanity Fair that she considered the breach of her privacy a “sex crime.”

In the weeks that followed, British actress Emma Watson delivered a game-changing speech on feminism at the United Nations, in which she encouraged men to join the movement by mobilizing around the hashtag #HeForShe. Shortly afterwards, a website EmmaYouAreNext.com appeared featuring a “countdown,” clock, promising to leak nude photos of Watson in retaliation for her statements. While this later proved to be a hoax, the cruel prank spoke volumes about the current state of the Internet.

Soon after, yet another scandal involving online harassment rocked the gaming community. Feminist media critic and gamer Anita Sarkeesian has in the past received death threats for her critique of misogyny in gaming. The situation escalated, however, when she planned to attend a conference at Utah State University. A man emailed the university claiming that he would carry out a “Montreal-style” massacre if she attended, threatening to kill Sarkeesian and other women present. Sarkeesian was forced to cancel her appearance when the University informed her that they could not guarantee her safety in accordance with Utah state weapon laws. The incident, which became known as #Gamergate, launched a discussion of the toxic gaming culture that many consider to be harmful to women.

This succession of jarring events begs the question: has the Internet increased abuse against women, or merely given another, more far-reaching voice to those who hold misogynistic views? Recently, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky addressed this question when she delivered a speech at the Forbes Under 30 Summit, in which she referred to herself as “patient zero” of media abuse, and noted how much more hostile the media landscape has become given the instantaneity of online forums.

Though the Internet can in some instances worsen the problem of harassment, it has also served as a rallying point to counter the issue. In the summer of 2014, the viral hashtag #YesAllWomen spurred an important conversation around feminism and women’s rights in the 21^st century. When news broke of the Jian Ghomeshi scandal, in which over a dozen women have now come forward detailing violence they experienced at the hands of the popular CBC radio host, initial reactions from fans online accused the women of defamation. However as days passed and allegations against Ghomeshi continued to grow, social media users began to rally around the hashtag #IBelieveWomen and #BeenRapedNeverReported, countering a long legacy of victim blaming and denial that often comes with the territory of sexual abuse.

Though these cases are extreme, most women experience milder forms of harassment. Many who engage in online dating find themselves bombarded with abusive comments and messages. Recently, a number of women have taken to Instagram and Tumblr to document abusive messages they have received on Tinder, a popular dating app. The publication of these crude comments serves both to shame those who send them, and to draw awareness to the rampant disrespect often present in online interactions, where people feel that anonymity will protect them from the consequences of their comments. While the accounts can sometimes be funny, the frequency and crudeness of some of the responses are also disturbing. In one case, a Junior Hockey player was suspended when his coach became aware of abusive comments he had made to a woman, who went on to post them online.

What factors are at the root of gender-based abuse online? Some have argued that diversity problems in the tech industry – commonly referred to as “brogramming” – are a main cause. Feminist news site Jezebel drew attention to this issue when it found that its comment section was being inundated by disturbing GIFs depicting violent acts against women, including rape. The comments originated from untraceable “burner” IP addresses, making it impossible to block and report the anonymous users. Jezebel editorial staff found themselves forced to comb through every comment, individually flagging them as abuse. In an editorial on the site, one writer likened the experience to “playing whack-a-mole with a sociopathic Hydra.” When Jezebel approached Gawker Media, its publishing platform, to do something about the harassment, they were told that blocking the untraceable burner IPs of anonymous trolls was simply not a priority.

Why is such disregard shown for an issue that affects so many people? Diversity reports from Silicon Valley show that less than 1% of the US population works in the tech industry, while 87% of Americans use the Internet. Twitter employees are predominantly white and male, suggesting that they may not be entirely in tune with issues affecting women and minorities. Indeed, it took multiple incidents of rape and death threats against female politicians and journalists, and an online petition with over 120 000 signatures, for Twitter to finally install a button to report abusive accounts. Facebook has also been criticized for its ethical practices, including its censoring of breastfeeding photos, but not of violent sexual imagery posted to its site.

Given the high profile incidents that have recently dominated online discussions, are social media sites catching on that better systems may be needed to prevent online abuse? Twitter has recently updated its reporting system, and 4chan was forced to issue an apology in the wake of the Celebgate scandal. Perhaps the most significant movement, however, will come from online users who can mobilize on these very networks to counter negativity and harassment. If, as writer and consultant Clay Shirky believes, the Internet “runs on love,” perhaps the positive noise can indeed drown out the trolls.

If you’ve spent any time perusing social media over the past few weeks, you’ve probably come across dozens of videos of friends, celebrities, and even politicians dousing themselves with ice water.  Are people really that desperate to cool down in the last few weeks of summer? Not quite.

Source: UBC News

The videos are a part of the #IceBucketChallenge – a social media phenomenon breaking all kinds of charity records. The idea was launched by the ALS foundation to raise awareness about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a progressive degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Around 600 Canadians die of ALS every year.

The idea is simple enough: once you are nominated, you have 24 hours to donate to the ALS foundation, or dump ice water on your head – or, as many people have undertaken, do both. Post a video of you completing the challenge, then nominate three of your friends to do the same.

The Ice Bucket Challenge began gaining momentum after Boston College baseball player Peter Frates, who has ALS, posted about the challenge on Twitter. Television anchor Matt Lauer was one of the first celebrities to undergo the icy dare, followed by professional golfer Chris Kennedy. Within days, what began as a hashtag became a worldwide phenomenon, quite literally flooding screens and social media platforms around the world.

Former American President George W. Bush has participated. Shakira challenged Pope Francis, while Leonardo diCaprio nominated Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Other high-profile celebrities who have participated include Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, and New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Justin Bieber even challenged President Barack Obama, who declined in favor of a donation. The phenomenon became so extensive that the US State Department ruled that all American diplomats, military, and house members were officially banned from taking the challenge.

The trend has also inspired a number of spinoffs. Charlie Sheen dumped a bucket of dollar bills over his head. When nominated by Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Affleck, Matt Damon chose to instead use toilet water to draw attention to the 800 million people in the world who lack access to clean water. Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip have undertaken the “Rubble Bucket Challenge” to raise awareness of their dire humanitarian situation. Unsurprisingly, a slew of Ice Bucket Challenge bloopers have been compiled for your enjoyment. Even UBC President Arvind Gupta has hinted on Twitter that he may be participating.

The speed with which the campaign gained momentum and raised funds has baffled traditional community organizers, who are now asking themselves what factors led to its viral success. The concept is both fun to perform, and entertaining to watch. Smartphones have made videos more shareable than ever. As participation requires only a bucket, ice cubes, and some cold water, barriers to entry are relatively low. The participation of celebrities with massive audiences on social media, partnered with the “nomination” aspect of the challenge, meant that the spread was exponential, reaching more and more people as more videos were posted. At the moment of writing, over 1000 celebrities have participated, over 653 000 individual ice bucket challenge videos have been uploaded to YouTube, and a mind-boggling 1.2 million videos have been shared on Facebook. The ALS Association announced that it has raised over $94.3 million since the campaign was launched on July 29^th, compared to the $2.5 million raised during last year’s campaign.

Like any successful social media phenomenon, the Ice Bucket Challenge has its critics. Many are questioning whether the intentions of the campaign are truly altruistic, or simply another narcissistically self-promoting form of slacktivism. Indeed, the Independent found that a large number of participants were not actually aware of the charitable purpose of the challenge, the message having been lost in the medium.

Others postulated that the intentions of the drive had morphed into a self-congratulatory celebrity wet T-shirt contest, rather than an educational charity campaign. As summed up by one particularly telling Mirror headline: “Nicole Scherzinger takes ice bucket challenge and shows off super-abs at the same time.”

Some have criticized the waste of clean water as California faces one of the worst droughts in recent history, prompting the #DroughtShaming hashtag. One Washington Post journalist went so far as to estimate the amount of water wasted by the challenge – putting the number at 5 million gallons (that’s roughly the equivalent 120 000 bathtubs).

Perhaps the most convincing case for criticism comes from journalist Scott Gilmore, who explains that while funds directed towards research for any kind of life-threatening disease are inherently a good thing, donating to ALS may not actually be the most efficient use of your limited charity dollars. ALS is thankfully a rare disease, not close to ranking in the 20 most fatal diseases according to StatsCan. In contrast to the diseases with the greatest mortality rates (cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease), it is relatively well funded.

While the funds the challenge has raised are undoubtedly positive and commendable, it is important to do your own independent research when deciding where to allocate your charity dollars. For one, it may be more rational to ask yourself what issue has the greatest and most urgent need, and where your dollars will have the greatest impact, rather than donating to a cause simply because your favourite celebrity has. This is especially poignant given that the world is currently facing a disastrous humanitarian situation in Syria (now the greatest international refugee crisis in a generation) as well as the spread of Ebola, an international health emergency.

Whatever your opinion on the #ALSIceBucketChallenge, one cannot deny that it has produced concrete results. Unlike the #neknomination videos that went viral back in February, the social media campaign has not only reached millions, but also motivated countless individuals to donate to research for a disease they had likely not heard of a week ago.