While we just celebrated International Women’s Day, the Internet remains a space where women’s rights are still far from being achieved.
Algorithms (the cornerstone of online platforms’ business models), make it impossible to advance women’s rights online, giving a free pass to hatred and misogyny. Countless studies have shown AI algorithms are sexist. Designed for the most part by men and for men, these tools reflect, amplify and reproduce gender inequalities present in society. From conversational generative AI models with gender biases to social network’s AI recommendation systems that facilitate the dissemination of misogynistic and sexist content, these algorithms are pushing gender equality backwards, one post at a time.
As a result, online platforms have become the favourite playground of masculinist groups where hate speech is more and more outspoken and where harassment has become commonplace. Women are the first victims of the techno-patriarchal system, accounting for 84% of victims of cyber violence, condemned to remain silent while men continue to protect themselves.
These platforms also enable misinformation to spread on subjects such as sexual and reproductive health, by facilitating the dissemination of false information and dissuasive contenton abortion by anti-abortion movements, which have seized social networks to undermine women’s right to control their bodies.
All these players, who are acting against women and their rights, are taking advantage of a system that benefits them – a social network economic model based on content recommendation and advertising – but also of the cruel lack of moderation by platforms that absolve themselves of any responsibility.
Ultimately, without adequate regulation of platforms and algorithms, women will continue to be the first victims of sexist technologies, and the fight for their rights online will be at the mercy of the misogynist ideology promoted by the tech giants.
For further information:
Clermont-Dion Léa, Maroist Guylaine, Je vous salue salope, la misogynie au temps du numérique, 2022
Equipop, Contrer les discours masculinistes en ligne, 2023
Fondation des Femmes, Mobilisation anti-avortement en France : quand les réseaux sociaux menacent le droit à l’IVG, 2024
Gault Pierre, Mascus, les hommes qui détestent les femmes, 2024, Documentary available on France TV here
IPSOS for Féministes contre le cyberharcèlement, Cyberviolence et cyberharcèlement : Etat des lieux d’un phénomène répandu, 2021
Saliou Mathilde, Technoféminisme, Comment le numérique aggrave les inégalités, 2023
1According to UNESCO, women account for only 20% of employees in technical positions in machine learning companies, 12% of artificial intelligence researchers worldwide and 6% of professional software developers.
2 To date, the CEOs of the world’s leading AI companies and major online platforms are mainly men.
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