Addressing digital sexual violence: An analysis of governance models on social media platforms

This research aims to examine how social media platforms address instances of digital sexual violence within their online spaces. To achieve this, a qualitative analysis of policies and documents of eleven platforms has been carried out, examining the relevance given to digital sexual violence and their proposed responses for this type of aggression. As a result, five governance models are identified: the absent model, the normative formalism model, the implicit model of delegated responsibility, the explicit model of delegated responsibility, and the advocacy model. Generally, except for the advocacy model, digital sexual violence is approached ambiguously and framed within the realms of security and privacy. Furthermore, a certain overrepresentation of image-based sexual violence can be observed, as well as a trend among platforms to absolve themselves of responsibility.