The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has issued a warning to media practitioners, social media users and content creators against sharing identifying information and sensitive content involving sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
In a public advisory, the commission directed Kenyans to stop posting, forwarding or circulating names, photographs, videos or any details that could reveal the identities of survivors without legal approval.
NGEC raised alarm over the rising spread of intimate images and personal information online, saying it is exposing survivors, especially children, to further trauma, stigma and harm.
“The Commission is profoundly alarmed by the sharp rise in the non-consensual sharing of intimate images (commonly known as “revenge pornography”), the circulation of personal data and images of survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV/GBV), especially children, and the dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CASM) across social media and other digital platforms,” NGEC stated.
In addition, the commission cautioned journalists, bloggers, influencers and other digital publishers to follow professional ethical standards by protecting survivors’ privacy or obtaining court authorisation before publication.
It further warned that misuse of digital platforms can discourage victims from reporting cases and undermine access to justice.
Therefore , the advisory urged members of the public to report cases of unlawful sharing of survivor information to law enforcement agencies and data protection offices, while calling on relevant authorities to investigate and prosecute cases involving digital violations.
