Feminist Cyber Policy: Are We Doing Enough to Achieve a Fair Digital Future?

Digital sovereignty primarily refers to the skills and capabilities of individuals to navigate and fulfill their roles in the digital world with independence, autonomy, and security.  Key digital issues such as data protection, cybersecurity and emerging technologies play a crucial role. But does this definition truly apply to all areas? This article aims to explore feminist cyber policy by providing clarifications and deeper insights into this topic.

The Basics of the Feminist Cyber Policy

The cyber realm offers us many opportunities. It allows us to connect and exchange ideas globally, access information and have our own digital freedom, utilize online administration services, and presents numerous positive prospects for democracy. However, it also opens the door for espionage, sabotage and extortion. Moreover, inequities present in the offline world are inevitably reflected in the online space. 

This is where feminist cyber policy comes into play: Adopting a feminist perspective in cyberspace goes beyond merely ensuring gender equality. It means actively addressing gender-based discrimination, uncovering the inequalities faced by women, marginalized communities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals acknowledging intersectionality, challenging patriarchal structures, and advocating for the protection and advancement of human rights.

Challenges and Problems in Cyberspace in the Feminist Context     

It is often asserted that technology has permeated every aspect of life, serving as both a supportive function and a reflection of existing gender roles and patterns of discrimination. The pressing question is: if we have the capability and power to leverage technology to improve and simplify our world, why do we not see more efforts to disrupt entrenched patterns like inequalities? A feminist cyber policy is essential, here are three reasons why: 

 1. Digital divide

The Digital Association Bitkom e.V. highlights in a recent study that women are much more hesitant than men when it comes to using the internet and handling digital devices. A survey of 1.002 people in Germany aged 16 and over revealed that men's self-assessment in digital skills and competence is significantly higher than that of women. For instance, 91 percent of men reported using the internet "occasionally," compared to 84 percent of women. Additionally, 30 percent of women indicated that they could protect their devices or apps with antivirus programs or strong passwords, while 43 percent of men reported doing so. Furthermore, 45 percent of women expressed a desire for more knowledge in this area. While this reflects the situation in Germany, a digital divide also exists on a global scale. An analysis by the International Telecommunication Union states that the worldwide percentage of men using the internet is 70%, compared to 65% of woman (as of 2023).  One reason for this is that men are significantly more likely to work from home, particularly in households with children. According to a study, 21% of men work from home compared to only 9% of employed women. Additionally, women are less likely to perceive the benefits of digitalization in their professional lives. Another factor is that women tend to be more cautious on social networks and are more likely to engage in moderated forums rather than on open platforms. They also tend to handle personal data with greater sensitivity. This exacerbates gender inequality in the digital sphere, reinforcing traditional gender roles and perpetuating existing disparities, including those related to lower levels of education and digital skills, which further limit women's access to opportunities and resources in the digital economy. This is concerning for the gender digital divide, as women represent a disproportionately large segment of the global offline population, where the gap between men and women amounts to 17 percent or 250 million people. In addition, one-fifth of women in India and Egypt hold the belief that using the internet is not appropriate for them since it could pose a threat to the traditional social order. These numbers indicate that women are disadvantaged in cyberspace which is why feminist cyber policy can play an important role.  

 2. Digital harassment and violence against women and minorities

Especially in social media women and minorities are a preferred target. A statista study published in 2024 revealed that gender-based abuse is significantly more common on social media platforms than across other online settings. Furthermore, the study determined one in five women worldwide reported having encountered comments or images online suggesting that men are superior to women. This is particularly problematic in a cyberspace dominated by male perspectives, as it stifles diverse voices and reinforces gender inequality. 

Unfortunately, digital harassment of women is a global problem as well. For instance, the Chatham House published an article dealing with online abuse against female politicians in Latin America. Online harassment targeting women is prevalent, with some high-profile cases where some women even were forced to shut down their social media accounts due to persistent abuse. Indeed, gender is often exploited in disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting politicians.  For example, during the recent presidential campaign involving Kamala Harris, there was a significant amount of misinformation targeting her based on gender, skin color, and ethnic background. The anonymity and extensive reach of digital media exacerbates the problem of digital harassment, making it more challenging to hold offenders accountable through legal action. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has demonstrated that countries with long-standing or institutionalized gender inequality tend to experience higher rates of online violence. Therefore, in these countries, it is crucial to have a comprehensive plan to combat this violence.

 3. Gender data gap

Besides the digital divide, there is a significant gender data gap. Women are underrepresented in academic research data, which impacts various areas, including data analysis. Despite this gap, artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in companies, for example in recruitment processes. Generally, AI relies on statistical inferences drawn from available data. Therefore, data must be gender-inclusive for the algorithm to be effective and fair. Without this, algorithms are based on incomplete and biased information. For instance, the Amazon recruitment tool was discriminatory, because it was trained on previous application data, which included disproportionally many male applications. As a result, the algorithm preferred men in the application process. Also, in the banking industry AI is utilized, thus, there is highly automated decision-making with minimal human oversight. However, this can exacerbate existing risks of discrimination, particularly in this sensitive sector as women may be disproportionately disadvantaged due to the existing income disparity between genders.  To prevent such discrimination, it is crucial to engage with gender-sensitive data, meaning they are disaggregated by gender. Their use should be mandatory, especially in critical areas such as security and health. 

Gender-Neutral Protection of Human Rights in the Feminist Cyber Policy

Feminist cyber policy fundamentally begins with safeguarding human rights in the digital sphere. This can be observed as part of the discussions around The Chat Control 2.0 initiative, which has repeatedly failed to gain traction in EU negotiations. This proposal pertains to state surveillance measures aimed at detecting the dissemination of child exploitation material. It involves the monitoring of encrypted and private communication channels for images of child abuse. Consequently, this implies that email and messaging services would have the authority to access and read private messages without the individual's consent. This would entail the analysis of all user communications in cyberspace, thereby undermining end-to-end encryption.

Although the issue may not initially appear to be directly connected to feminism, it holds significant relevance for marginalized groups and underscores critical concerns such as data protection and human rights. From a feminist perspective, this proposal is problematic as it impacts individual freedom and could have disparate effects on different genders. The proposal’s potential to infringe upon personal privacy and the broader implications for gender impacts of surveillance measures necessitate scrutiny and address fundamental issues of privacy and autonomy.

Luckily, the initiative encountered another setback on June 20, 2024, due to a lack of majority support but is still attracting a lot of debate.

Approaches to Solutions

So, what positive role could a feminist cyber policy play to counter these gender-based injustices?  Superrr Lab has developed the "Feminist Tech Principles" to offer guidelines for shaping technology policy. These 12 principles advocate e.g. that technologies should prioritize community needs over profit maximization. They emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable access and actively engaging with marginalized groups to collaboratively develop effective strategies. Considering the ongoing debate about chat control, the Superrr Lab insists that individuals should have the right to determine how and when their data is used.

Additionally, since March 2023, a strategy for Feminist Foreign Policy has been in place in Germany. The strategy discusses topics such as women's self-determination, participation, and representation within the context of cyberspace. However, there is significant criticism regarding its lack of integration into existing structures, which showcases that many feminist cyber policy initiatives suffer from a lack of institutionalization. It cannot be considered a feminist foreign policy if there is no overarching concept that has been officially adopted into the government and integrated into the responsibilities of various departments. Otherwise, progress can quickly be reversed. For instance, Sweden was a pioneer in feminist foreign policy, but after a change in leadership, the topic was sidelined.  

To address this gender gap, efforts are also being made to develop international initiatives such as the "Global Digital Compact" from the United Nations. In September, the Global Digital Compact is set to be established, which will address, among other issues, human rights in the digital realm, efforts to overcome the digital divide regarding technology access, and the fostering of equitable data practices. Many people in the Global South still lack access to the internet, which is why the “Global Digital Compact” aims to connect every school worldwide to the internet by 2030. However, the compact still faces challenges in outlining the next steps needed to bridge the digital divide in access to digital technologies. Therefore, it is even more important to bring these issues to the forefront. It is evident that many developments are occurring in the field of feminist cyber policy. However, power structures and mechanisms of oppression in cyberspace persist, which is why the digital divide remains a significant problem. Moreover, until issues of gender equality, discrimination, and access to media are resolved offline, they will also persist in cyberspace because prejudices and power asymmetries remain. Consequently, a fair and equitable digital world from a feminist perspective is still a long way off, which demonstrates the necessity of implementing a feminist cyber policy.