Online gender-based violence as a socio-technical issue: the aware gaze of activists and practitioners

This article addresses online gender-based violence as a complex interaction between misogynistic socio-cultural repertoires and the political economy of digital platforms, focusing on the perspective of Italian activists and practitioners who work to counteract gender-based violence. We investigate their understanding of platform infrastructures and affordances, drawing upon research on gender and digital technologies, along with recent studies on user awareness. Based on about twenty interviews, our analysis reveals that interviewees, albeit recognizing the inclusive potential of digital media, are acutely aware of how certain platform affordances and operational mechanisms can perpetuate gender-based violence online. Their “factual” awareness, rooted in the practices of struggle and/or work that they carry out on a daily basis, unexpectedly prompts them to advocate for “old-fashioned” solutions to make digital environments safer and more inclusive. Keywords: online gender-based violence, digital activism, user awareness, platform political economy, technological affordances.