World Wide Web

Human rights

Inequality

Suicide prevention

Public relations

Gender studies

Computer security

The Internet

Psychiatry

Computer science

Environmental health

Humanities

Internet privacy

Poison control

Psychology

Mathematics

Social media

Political science

Stalking

Criminology

Sociology

Gender inequality

Mathematical analysis

Intervention (counseling)

Domestic violence

Medicine

Harm

Harassment

Gender violence

Policy & Internet

Gender‐based violence online is rampant, ranging from harassment of women who are public figures on social media to stalking intimate partners using purpose‐built apps. This is not an issue that can be addressed by individual states alone, nor can it be addressed satisfactorily through legal means. The normalization of misogyny and abuse online both reflects and reinforces systemic inequalities. Addressing gender‐based violence online will require the intervention of the technology companies that govern the commercial Internet to prevent and combat abuse across networks and services. We argue that international human rights instruments provide an opportunity to identify with more precision the responsibilities of telecommunications companies and digital media platforms to mitigate harm perpetrated through their networks, and ensure that the systems they create do not reproduce gendered inequality. Finally, we present initial recommendations for platforms to promote human rights and fulfill their responsibilities under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Human Rights by Design: The Responsibilities of Social Media Platforms to Address Gender‐Based Violence Online