Online Gender-Based Violence Cases Rampant in Indonesia, UMN, KAPAL Perempuan and ICT Watch Hold Public Discussion

UMN’s Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence holds a public discussion on the theme of Online Gender-Based Violence and the use of AI (Doc. UMN)

TANGERANG – Many cases of spreading intimate content without consent occur in the digitalization era. However, KAPAL Perempuan Director Budhis Utami said this was not the only case of online sexual violence.

UMN’s Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (Pencegahan dan Penanganan Kekerasan Seksual/PPKS), in collaboration with KAPAL Perempuan and ICT Watch, organized a public discussion “Safe Digital Space: STOP GBV and Understand the Ethics of Using AI” at UMN’s Lecture Theater, Thursday (23/11/23).

Online Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has recently been in the spotlight as cases have increased. Based on Komnas Perempuan’s 2022 Annual Report, reports of KBGO cases occupy the highest position in complaints to Komnas Perempuan in the public domain. The percentage increase reached 69 percent of the total cases.

GBV is violence that has the intention of harassing victims based on gender or sex by using technology, for example, by accessing, manipulating, and disseminating personal data, personal photos, or videos without consent. GBV cases do not only affect women but also men.

KAPAL Perempuan Director Budhis Utami in her presentation about GBV (Doc. UMN).

KAPAL Perempuan Director Budhis Utami said that this type of violence is more dangerous because it can reach a broader range of people. The impact on victims of GBV can also be fatal, ranging from depression to suicide.

“In our daily language, it’s called slander, and the old saying is that slander is more cruel than murder. Actually, it kills the character that if it is [done] continuously, spread [continuously] becomes a truth,” said Budhis.

In line with that, ICT Watch Deputy Director Widuri revealed that GBV is more dangerous because of its eternal nature on the internet. Current technological developments allow digital traces to be easily shared quickly and will unknowingly be stored on the internet forever.

Widuri also said that ICT Watch intensively utilizes digital literacy to prevent and handle GBV cases. One of them is the socialization program to protect personal data.

“Because many things related to GBV are also closely related to the protection of personal data and the security of the digital data we have,” said Widuri.

One of UMN’s students in a question-and-answer session discussing GBV and the use of AI (Doc. UMN).

The sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) can be one of the tools used to manipulate one’s personal data, such as deepfake porn. Deepfake pornography is artificial sexual content using AI technology. An image of a person’s face can be manipulated in deepfake porn without their consent. The misuse of this technology is a threat to anyone.

The Dean of UMN’s Faculty of Art and Design, Muhammad Cahya Mulya Daulay, S.Sn., M.Ds., said that AI technology has many benefits. AI technology helps humans process information and data through text, video, photos, and audio. According to him, this technology also plays a role in covering a variety of human shortcomings.

“AI helps cover human shortcomings so that when he needs to create something there are tools. The benefits are many, but for what purpose? [Ask that] before using AI,” Cahya said.

Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics Nezar Patria said the Ministry is currently drafting a Circular Letter on the ethical use of artificial intelligence. He revealed that the GBV discussion at UMN will be one of the references for preparing the Circular.

This event is one of UMN’s commitments to create a campus free from sexual violence. Previously, UMN Vice Rector III for Student Affairs Ika Yanuarti, S.E., M.S.F, CSA, said that UMN had formed a PPKS Task Force in January 2022. The UMN PPKS Task Force was formed several months after Permendikbudristek Number 30 of 2021 was issued concerning the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in the Higher Education Environment.

“The plan is that in 2024, we will collaborate with UMN’s Humanities study to include material on the prevention and handling of sexual violence in UMN in the Humanities curriculum. So, students don’t just come to a seminar or workshop once, no, but also through the curriculum,” Ika explained.

Melinda Chang | UMN News Service

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

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