The European Fem Institute is preparing an enforcement case against Meta for systemic failures to combat cyberviolence against women and people of diverse genders.
The European Fem Institute has done a nationwide representative study on cyberviolence against women in Poland indicating that a significant proportion of women who reported harassment, threats or non-consensual dissemination of personal data received dismissive responses, while abusive content remained accessible. The project focuses on systemic platform practices and does not involve collecting or representing individual cases.
At the same time, Meta publicly communicates safety guarantees, including statements that it removes abusive content and promotes users’ safety. Such representations may create a misleading perception of protection.
Meta’s systemic failure to address gender-based cyberviolence
Organisation Name
European Fem Institute
Country/Jurisdiction
Poland
Amount Granted
EUR 8,500
Current Status
Ongoing
Image credit: Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash
Grant type
Pre-litigation Research Support
Description
The European Fem Institute is preparing an enforcement case against Meta for systemic failures to combat cyberviolence against women and people of diverse genders.
The European Fem Institute has done a nationwide representative study on cyberviolence against women in Poland indicating that a significant proportion of women who reported harassment, threats or non-consensual dissemination of personal data received dismissive responses, while abusive content remained accessible. The project focuses on systemic platform practices and does not involve collecting or representing individual cases.
At the same time, Meta publicly communicates safety guarantees, including statements that it removes abusive content and promotes users’ safety. Such representations may create a misleading perception of protection.
"a significant proportion of women who reported harassment, threats or non-consensual dissemination of personal data received dismissive responses, while abusive content remained accessible"
Strategic Goal
To set a compliance benchmark for all VLOPs, based on seeking a binding decision in Poland, and possible subsequent judicial review.
Offer practical guidance for regulatory approaches in comparable contexts and contribute to broader interpretative discussions regarding the enforcement of EU digital regulatory frameworks.
Clarify how existing EU legal frameworks – including data protection, consumer protection and the Digital Services Act – can be operationalised to address systemic platform failures contributing to gender-based cyberviolence.
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