Cyberviolence, Vulnerability, and the Challenges of AI

  • Panel
  • Le Baixu
  • Thursday 22.05 — 08:45 - 10:00

Organising Institution

CArE project: Securing individuals’ human rights against technology-facilitated cyberviolence

Netherlands

  • Academic 2
  • Business 1
  • Policy 3
Cyberviolence, the use of computer systems and technology more generally to cause, facilitate, or threaten violence against individuals, has many manifestations, ranging from cyber harassment, online stalking, to intimate image abuse. While there is recognition that cyberviolence is a major problem, the age of offenders keeps on dropping, which means that new generations engage into aspects of cyberviolence. AI is often used as a tool to facilitate cyberviolence, for example for the creation of synthetic images or cloning of voices. Women and children are disproportionately victimised. In April 2024, the new EU Directive on combating violence against women was adopted, which includes aspects of cyberviolence. In November 2024, the CoE Lanzarote Committee issued a Declaration on protecting children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse facilitated by emerging technologies.

Questions to be answered

  1. How should cyberviolence be defined and are individuals more vulnerable to acts of cyberviolence under certain conditions?
  2. Which are the positive obligations of states on (cyber)violence and is there a difference between cyberviolence and (offline) violence?
  3. How effective are legal instruments and which are the expectations from new initiatives such as the Directive 2024/1385 and the AI Act?
  4. What should the role of very large online platforms be in detecting and reporting to law enforcement acts of cyberviolence and which are the limitations?

Moderator

Irene Kamara

Tilburg Law School/TILT - Netherlands

Irene works as Assistant Professor Cybercrime Law and Human Rights at the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society in the Netherlands. Irene conducts research on how technology affects the protection of human rights. She particularly focuses on issues of cyberviolence, such as cyberstalking, bullying, image-based abuse, and the relevant EU and international law and soft law (e.g. technical standards). Irene also publishes on legal aspects of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and personal data protection. Irene is qualified attorney-at-law and was practicising for several years before joining academia.

Speaker

Kim Barker

Lincoln Law School - United Kingdom

Kim Barker is Professor of Law at Lincoln Law School. She is a foundational voice in the field of online violence against women. She has spoken and published widely nationally, and internationally on these issues. She was one of the leading experts contributing to the development of the first recommendation on the digital dimension of violence against women by the Council of Europe’s independent expert body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) and is the lead expert for the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Combating Technology Facilitated Violence Against Women. Professor Barker has provided expert consultancy and worked with a number of Governments, inter-governmental bodies, NGOs, and tech companies on issues related to online safety, online harm, and online violence.

Speaker

Catherine van de Heyning

University of Antwerp - Belgium

Catherine Van de Heyning, dr LLM is a professor at the University of Antwerp where she teaches fundamental rights. Her current research focuses on cyberviolence and cybercrime in a fundamental rights and international criminal law perspective.  In addition, she is a deputy-public prosecutor at the cybercrime division of the public ministry on Antwerp. Catherine also functions as independent expert on the Advisory Committee to the United Nations Human Rights Council. 

Speaker

Maria Asensio Velasco

Council of Europe - International

María Asensio Velasco is a human rights lawyer specialising in children's rights. She holds dual degrees in Law and International Relations from Universidad Pontificia Comillas, as well as an LL.M. from Harvard University. Her professional experience spans international organisations, NGOs and law firms. Currently, she serves as a Project Manager in the Children's Rights Division of the Council of Europe, leading the End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse @Europe+ project.

Speaker

Evin Incir

European Parliament - Europe

Ms. Evin Incir is a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 for the Swedish Social Democratic Party. She is an important voice for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. As the European Parliament's lead negotiator, Evin Incir has played a key role in establishing the historic EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The law was successfully passed during the last plenary session of the parliamentary term in April 2024 and represents a historic step in combating violence and strengthening women's human rights online and offline within the Union.