MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US launches task force against online harassment

“All of us have a responsibility to stand together” against this problem, Harris said

The Government of the United States Thursday launched an initiative to tackle online gender violence and sexual harassment by creating a “task force” to deal with the issue.

Vice President Kamala Harris made the announcement while a memorandum from President Joseph Biden was released: “I am directing the Director of the White House Gender Policy Council and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs to lead an interagency effort to address online harassment and abuse.”

The head of state also highlighted the new measures will improve “prevention, response and protection efforts.”

Harris will lead the task force, which “aims to address the growing problem of online harassment and abuse, which disproportionately targets women, girls and LGBTQI+ individuals,” while Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will serve on the body, which is to be co-chaired by the Gender Policy Council and the National Security Council.

According to recent studies, 1 in 4 African Americans has experienced online abuse one way or another, women taking the worst part, while 49% of LGBTQ+ students said they have experienced some form of online harassment, an increasing threat on social media.

The task force -the result of a promise made by Biden during the election campaign- is expected to develop over the next 180 days a set of recommendations for the federal government to combat the problem. The Biden administration also believes it is essential to understand the impact of online violence: “The tragic events in Buffalo and Uvalde have highlighted an aspect all too familiar to many Americans: the Internet.”

The presidential document also states that the Internet “can fuel hate, misogyny, and abuse with repercussions that threaten our communities and offline safety.”

“This affects all of us if it affects any one of us,” Harris said. “Therefore, all of us, have a responsibility to stand together, to support those who have gone through this but to also recognize they shouldn't have to be alone fighting on this issue.”