Women on Covid lists get lewd calls and messages

Perverts are eating into precious time in the middle of a pandemic and adding to the overall anxiety

Women are getting lewd calls and messages when they share their phone numbers to seek and offer pandemic-related help.

On April 15, Shasvathi Siva tweeted about how her number, shared on blood donation and social media groups, received obscene photos and video calls from strangers.

When she spoke about the harassment on Instagram, she ended up receiving more abuse from men.

With the second wave of the pandemic raging, many patients and families are turning to social media to search for medicines, oxygen, and even hospital beds.

Ambika Tandon, senior researcher, Centre for Internet and Society, says, “There are many stories of how prominent and outspoken women like journalists and activists have received hate speech and messages threatening violence.” What is shocking, she says, is not the harassment, but that it is not stopping even during a medical emergency.

Protection tips

Akancha Srivastava, founder, Akancha Against Harassment, says the law works on evidence, and it is important not to delete the abusive messages.

“Make sure the URL is showing, take a screenshot of the profile and the message. If possible, take a printout,” she says. On an individual level, women can refrain from sharing their contact details. “Share numbers of the men in your family or give an organisation’s number or helpline number,” says Ambika.

Her advice: Once you receive such a message, block the number to prevent more messages from coming in.

“And if there is any psychological impact, ask for help. Talk to other women at the receiving end or to mental health practitioners,” she adds.

Women can also take screenshots and use social media platforms to name and shame the culprit. Sections under IPC and IT Act have a lot to do with obscenity, which is about morality and protectionism rather than empowerment.

The recent IT rules have specific provisions against gender-based violence. However, they are more relevant to social media than to chat platforms, she says. Cyber cells and police officials should undergo sensitivity training to deal with the problem, she suggests.

Filing a complaint

Most women do not pursue a case because they don’t have the emotional energy to do so.

The more garden variety forms of harassment, as in the relentless ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ messages, can be dealt with by blocking the number.

It is usually when women receive overtly sexual, violent or abusive messages that they decide to file complaints.

Bring them to book

N S Nappinai, advocate and founder of Cyber Saathi, says, “When a woman is being stalked or harassed on an online medium it is a punishable offence under the IT Act and IPC. Where obscene content is shared it may be punishable under sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.” Evidence helps track the harassers. While on chat platforms such as WhatsApp, the abuser’s number is easy to get, social media platforms like Facebook are tricky, says Ambika Tandon, senior researcher, Centre for Internet and Society.

Telegram and Instagram allow people to delete messages without leaving any record, which is why screenshots are critical.

Victims can either file a report in person or online. “If you want a quick resolution, visit your nearest cybercrime police station, while following all the Covid protocols,” says Nappinai.

Where to complain

National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime.gov.in

Cyber Crime Division,
Karnataka: cyberpolicebangalore.nic.in

Helpline: 112