Environmental defenders face severe online threats such as death threats, doxing, and cyber-attacks, significantly deterring their activism. A report from Global Witness revealed that 90% of over 200 interviewed activists experienced abuse, with many linking digital harassment to physical threats. Fatrisia Ain, an Indonesian land rights activist, reported specific instances of being targeted online, revealing vulnerabilities due to her gender and cultural context. She encountered difficulties with platforms like Facebook, which failed to act on requests to remove harmful content. Unsatisfactory responses from social media companies were noted by 88% of defenders.
Death threats, doxing and cyber-attacks are prevalent against environmental activists, with 90% experiencing abuse, often contributing to offline harm and a chilling climate for activism.
Fatrisia Ain highlighted her struggles with online harassment, including false accusations spread through social media, which intensified her vulnerabilities as a female activist in Indonesia.
Despite reporting hate speech incidents, Facebook rejected Fatrisia Ain's requests to remove harmful content, indicating a lack of cultural sensitivity in moderation practices.
Only 12% of environmental defenders were satisfied with social media platforms' responses to reported abuse, showing a significant gap in support for activists.
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