The media and social exposure of influencers, models, actresses, and celebrities in general can have negative consequences for those involved, especially in terms of physical and emotional safety, and cybersecurity.

An increasingly evident reality is the harassment of celebrities on social media and in their private lives. The offence of “stalking” or harassment was introduced into the Criminal Code by the 2015 reform. This offence punishes with sentences of 3 months to 2 years in prison (or a fine of 6 to 24 months) anyone who persistently harasses a person. The High Court determines that the offence of stalking requires continuity over time and a disruption to the victim’s habits. This same offence is often committed by strangers and anonymous individuals with whom the victims have no relationship.

As Huffington Post reports on its website, one of the latest cases is that of the Valencian illustrator Paula Bonet, who explains on Twitter the situation she has been living with for some time and the limited protection provided by the authorities:

But what happens when harassment takes place on social media?

Typically, when an influencer is harassed in their private life, they are also harassed in the digital environment, especially through social media. At present, the platforms’ response is not decisive in this regard, and they do not offer a high level of cooperation in detecting harassment. In fact, they do have the right technology; otherwise, it would be impossible to censor photographs or hateful content targeting groups. However, they do not use all the means available to detect harassment cases, nor to help resolve them.

At onBRANDING, we know for certain that it is possible to detect harmful comments and content targeting other users. To do so, proper monitoring of the platforms and tracking of harassers and victims are required.

Are social networks really involved in combating harassment?

The lack of a decisive response from digital platforms causes clear psychological after-effects in harassed users, and in many cases, financial ones, if it begins to affect not only the victim’s private life but also their working life. One of the main reasons for this lack of response to harassment is that most of the operational bases of the companies that make up social networks are located in the United States, where freedom of expression takes precedence over any other right.

However, we find major inconsistencies when it comes to limiting and censoring content on, for example, Instagram. For instance, the well-known cases of censoring female nipples, including breastfeeding within that censorship. The blocking that networks apply to certain topics reveals the platforms’ ability to help curb harassment or threats.

In addition, as a general rule, once you request that a social network remove harassing content, they often demand the victim’s ID card or private documentation, even when the person is a protected witness—something entirely inconsistent and that goes beyond the limits of security.

The COVID-19 quarantine has led to an increase in harassment situations targeting celebrities. However, this is not a new situation. At onBRANDING, we have been fighting online crime for more than 13 years, such as cyberbullying, data theft, identity theft, phishing, ransomware, etc. The lack of knowledge to defend oneself online and the speed at which new technologies advance leave victims in a state of helplessness that is the perfect breeding ground for cybercriminals.

Real cases.

Below are some well-known cases of celebrities harassed in their private lives:

These are just a few of the many cases of celebrities being harassed on social media. They may be victims of insults, the harasser showing up at their home, sexual cyberharassment, death threats, harassment, etc. Some offences are set out in the Criminal Code and could be applicable to the digital environment, such as death threats, punishable depending on severity with custodial sentences.

Ask for help.

There are many situations in which the offence of harassing a celebrity may occur, but it is not easy to address through legal channels. Moreover, there is limited cooperation from social networks, where many of these situations take place.

At onBRANDING, we are experts in cyber investigation, online reputation, and corporate and personal digital identity protection.

If you know someone who is being harassed or needs help, you can contact us.