Monash University’s Dr Asher Flynn [pictured] has joined Facebook’s Global Women’s Safety Expert Advisory Group as Australia’s representative.
Dr Flynn, who is an Associate Professor of Criminology at Monash University and the Vice President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, will join the committee and engage in quarterly meetings to discuss how Facebook’s tools and policies empower women online.
The Advisory Committee is made up of 12 women from around the world.
“Women come to Facebook to run thriving businesses, support each other through Groups and make donations to causes they are passionate about. However, like society, it can also be a place where women experience a disproportionate level of harassment and abuse. It is important that we equip women to manage their online experience, stay connected whilst also addressing ways we can minimise harm and stay safe online,” said Mia Garlick, Director of Policy, Facebook Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
“The way in which abuse and harassment manifests online varies country by country, however the sum result globally is that women have a less safe experience than men. One of our key priorities is to ensure safety concerns are addressed, and that women have equal access to all of the economic opportunity, education, and social connection the internet provides in Australia.”
Garlick pointed to a host of new tools introduced on Facebook over the past 18 months to help women control their experience on the platforms, including; filter messages, the ability to switch off DMs, comment controls and blocking new accounts.
Facebook has also recently launched a partnership with the Office of E-Safety in Australia to address non-consensual sharing of intimate images (NCII).
“We work to prevent people from misusing our services to make extortionate threats to expose naked or semi-naked images or videos for financial gain, additional illicit content, or sextortion. Launched in partnership with the Office of E-Safety in Australia, we have a channel where people can report NCII to us,” Garlick said.
