July 22, 2021

Respect in Security, a team of cybersecurity experts, has launched a movement to encourage companies to set up a way for people to report abusive behavior online.

Social media platforms are under constant criticism for the way they respond to reported abuse.

“It can feel like the platforms do nothing, the police don’t do a lot, lawyers are expensive and the publicity legal action generates can be negative,” said Lisa Forte of Red Goat Cyber Security. “The best solution we have, if the culprit is identifiable, is to approach their employer. We’re not saying a company is liable for the behavior, but it will be able to decide the most appropriate way to deal with it – which may be offering support rather than disciplinary.”

Companies are not formally liable for this behavior.

Forte co-founder Rik Ferguson of Trend Micro said many companies had anti-bullying policies but focused only on internal behavior.

Companies that join the movement are asked to commit to some principles, including:

• Protection of the identity of the person reporting harassment, where possible
• Making the reporting pathway public and discussing it with employees
• Not “ignoring” any form of harassment

The plan does not cover abuses stemming from anonymously created accounts.

For more information, read the original story in BBC.