DiscoverSomething Was WrongData Points: AI-Facilitated Crime & Abuse (featuring Dr. Aiden Hirshfield)
Data Points: AI-Facilitated Crime & Abuse (featuring Dr. Aiden Hirshfield)

Data Points: AI-Facilitated Crime & Abuse (featuring Dr. Aiden Hirshfield)

Update: 2024-09-03
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Digest

This episode of Data Points, a new series from Broken Cycle Media, delves into the complex issue of digital violence, a broad term encompassing harmful online behaviors like revenge porn, doxing, cyberbullying, and grooming. The episode highlights the prevalence of digital violence, particularly among young adults and teens, and its connection to other forms of abuse. Statistics reveal that a significant portion of young adults and teens have experienced online harassment, with some experiencing severe forms of abuse. The episode also explores the link between digital violence and other forms of abuse, such as psychological, physical, and sexual violence. The episode examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital violence, explaining the concept of generative AI, its capabilities, and its potential for misuse. It highlights the use of AI in creating deepfakes, which can be used for malicious purposes, particularly in the realm of pornography and child abuse. The episode discusses legislative and policy efforts to combat digital violence, highlighting the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPA) and the Report Act, which aim to protect children from online exploitation. It also mentions the Digital Services Act from the European Union, which seeks to prevent harmful online activities and disinformation. The episode acknowledges the challenges in addressing digital violence, including the reluctance of victims to report abuse, societal victim-blaming, and the lack of accountability for social media platforms. It emphasizes the need for increased awareness, education, and legislative action to combat this issue. The episode outlines strategies for combating digital violence, including raising awareness, advocating for safer online platforms, reporting abuse, and engaging in legislative action. It encourages listeners to support organizations working to eradicate digital violence and to utilize the internet as a tool for connecting victims, sharing resources, and holding abusers accountable. The episode provides a list of resources for victims of digital violence, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the right to be, Thorn, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It encourages listeners to visit the episode notes and somethingwaswrong.com/resources for a more comprehensive list of organizations.

Outlines

00:00:00
Understanding Digital Violence

This episode explores the concept of digital violence, its prevalence, and its connection to other forms of abuse. It highlights the impact of digital violence on young adults and teens, particularly those from marginalized groups.

00:01:42
The Role of AI in Digital Violence

The episode examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital violence, focusing on the use of generative AI to create deepfakes for malicious purposes. It discusses the challenges posed by AI in combating digital violence.

00:06:24
Addressing Digital Violence: Legislation and Strategies

The episode discusses legislative and policy efforts to combat digital violence, highlighting existing laws and the need for increased awareness, education, and legislative action. It outlines strategies for combating digital violence, including reporting abuse, advocating for safer online platforms, and supporting organizations working to eradicate digital violence.

00:11:23
Resources for Victims of Digital Violence

The episode provides a list of resources for victims of digital violence, including hotlines, support organizations, and online resources. It encourages listeners to seek help and support if they have experienced digital violence.

Keywords

Digital Violence


A broad term encompassing harmful online behaviors like revenge porn, doxing, cyberbullying, and grooming. It often involves the misuse of technology to inflict harm, abuse, or harassment.

Generative AI


A type of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as text, images, or videos, by learning patterns from large datasets. It can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes.

Deepfakes


Synthetic media, typically videos or images, in which a person's likeness is digitally altered or generated using AI techniques. They can be used to create realistic but fabricated content, often for malicious purposes.

Doxing


The act of publicly revealing private information about someone online with malicious intent, often leading to harassment, stalking, or other forms of abuse.

Cyberbullying


The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages that are mean or threatening, spreading rumors, or posting embarrassing photos or videos.

Grooming


A process of exploiting trust to shift expectations of what safe behavior is and leveraging fear and shame to keep a child silent, often used by abusers to sexually exploit minors online.

Online Harassment


Any form of unwanted or aggressive behavior directed at a person online, including bullying, stalking, threats, and hate speech. It can have a significant impact on the victim's mental health and well-being.

Q&A

  • What are some examples of digital violence?

    Digital violence encompasses a range of harmful online behaviors, including revenge porn, doxing, cyberbullying, grooming, and impersonation through deepfakes. These acts often involve the misuse of technology to inflict harm, abuse, or harassment.

  • How prevalent is digital violence, and who is most affected?

    Studies show that digital violence is widespread, particularly among young adults and teens. Two-thirds of adults under 30 have experienced online harassment, with 18-29 year olds experiencing more severe forms of abuse. Marginalized groups, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals, are disproportionately affected.

  • What is the role of AI in digital violence?

    AI, particularly generative AI, can be misused to create deepfakes, which can be used for malicious purposes, such as creating non-consensual pornography or spreading disinformation. This technology poses significant challenges for combating digital violence.

  • What are some strategies for combating digital violence?

    Strategies include raising awareness, advocating for safer online platforms, reporting abuse, and engaging in legislative action. It's crucial to support organizations working to eradicate digital violence and to utilize the internet as a tool for connecting victims, sharing resources, and holding abusers accountable.

  • What resources are available for victims of digital violence?

    Several organizations offer resources for victims, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the right to be, Thorn, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These organizations provide support, education, and guidance for navigating online harassment and abuse.

Show Notes

*Content Warning: digital violence, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, doxxing, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, child sexual abuse material, internalized misogyny, hate crimes, racism, transphobia, and homophobia.


Resources:

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): https://www.ic3.gov/

National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/

Take It Down: https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/

THORN: https://info.thorn.org/


Sources:

Artificial Intelligence 2023 Legislation. (2023). The National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2023-legislation


Bernard Marr. May 8, 2024. The Important Difference Between Generative AI And AGI. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/05/08/the-important-difference-between-generative-ai-and-agi/


Deeptrace Labs. (2019). The State of Deepfakes: Landscape, Threats, & impact. https://regmedia.co.uk/2019/10/08/deepfake_report.pdf


European Commission. (n.d.). The EU’s Digital Services Act. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en


FACT SHEET: Presidential Memorandum Establishing the White House Task Force to address online harassment and abuse. (2022). https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/16/fact-sheet-presidential-memorandum-establishing-the-white-house-task-force-to-address-online-harassment-and-abuse/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Justice%20(DOJ)%20will%20implement%20new%20statutory%20provisions,at%20the%20intersection%20with%20domestic


Janine M. Zweig, Ph.D., Meredith Dank, Ph.D., Pamela Lachman, Jennifer Yahner. Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying.

 U.S. Department of Justice. 2013. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/243296.pdf


National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). CyberTipline 2023 Report. https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline/cybertiplinedata


Pew Research Center. (2021, January 13). The State of Online Harassment. Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/


Pew Research Center. (2022, December 15). Teens And Cyberbullying. Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/


Right To Be. (n.d.). Self-Care When Experiencing Online Harassment. Right to Be. https://righttobe.org/guides/self-care-when-experiencing-online-harassment/


Rosenblatt, K. (2021, November 16). Drag queens are being swatted while streaming on Twitch. They want it to stop. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/drag-queens-are-swatted-streaming-twitch-want-stop-rcna5631


Rosenblatt, K. (2019, November 11). Family of Wichita man killed by police in swatting incident seeking $25 million from city. NBC News.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-wichita-man-killed-police-swatting-incident-seeking-25-million-n1079836


THORN. (2023, April 11). Online Grooming: What it is, how it happens, and how to defend children. https://www.thorn.org/blog/online-grooming-what-it-is-how-it-happens-and-how-to-defend-children/


Walker, Paige, Adam Jazairi, and Chelcie Rowell, eds. Digital Literacy Against Digital Violence: A Handbook for Library Workers. 2022. https://nfpcsa.pubpub.org/handbook.


Dr. Aiden Hirshfield:

Dr. Hirshfield’s website: https://www.aidenhirshfield.com/

Media Psyched Podcast: https://www.aidenhirshfield.com/podcast

Dr. Hirshfield’s Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dr.aidenhirshfield

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Data Points: AI-Facilitated Crime & Abuse (featuring Dr. Aiden Hirshfield)

Data Points: AI-Facilitated Crime & Abuse (featuring Dr. Aiden Hirshfield)