Online Harassment of Women Activists Targeting CCP

Introduction

Human rights activists face significant challenges when confronting powerful entities. Laura Harth, a prominent activist, uncovered an illegal Chinese police station in New York, only to become a target of online sexual harassment. These attacks began years ago, and recent advances in AI technology have intensified the situation.

Escalating Deepfake Attack

Laura Harth experienced sexualized slurs online following her exposure of the police station. In April, deepfake porn images of Harth circulated online, illustrating the wider issue faced by many activists combating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For Su Yutong, an activist from China, similar harassment has persisted, now featuring AI-generated deepfakes.

A Coordinated Effort

Women challenging the CCP face coordinated online harassment from state-linked actors in China. Despite these challenges, activists are increasingly calling out inappropriate behavior and publicizing harassing images. Harth, working with Safeguard Defenders, publicly shared the images, asserting that the shame belongs to the attackers. Su Yutong also agreed to have false images published, demonstrating the scale of the campaign.

Global Harassment Network

Newsweek interviewed four women across Canada, the UK, Germany, and Italy who have faced similar attacks. They report increased harassment in response to actions or reports sensitive to Chinese political events. Despite technological companies’ efforts to remove offensive content, hostile accounts reappear regularly.

Sexual Kompromat Tactics

Intelligence experts identify such online harassment as sex kompromat, aimed to entrap and discredit. Nathalie Vogel, from the Institute of World Politics, relates these tactics to historical espionage practices. Today, AI revolutionizes kompromat techniques, impacting activists like Zang Xihong, a CCP critic in Canada.

Legal Challenges

Zang Xihong, faced difficulty in tackling harassment legally. Canadian authorities were unable to assist due to limitations in law. In the U.S., legislation like the Take It Down Act aims to enforce action against deepfake images. While laws like Italy’s against AI deepfakes provide some protection, halting China’s activities remains a challenge.

Misogyny and Control

Su Yutong highlights misogyny as a tool of repression, destroying reputations by casting women as socially distrusted figures. Ongoing harassment manifests in severe consequences, including threats at her Berlin residence and intimidation of her family in China.

Navigating Harassment

For some activists, like Carmen Lau, the path to addressing harassment remains uncertain. Publicizing harassing images can be distressing, conflicting with their public persona and emotional resilience.

Conclusion

Laura Harth advocates for public disclosure of harassment, recognizing her unique position and responsibility to act. While confronting such tactics poses risks, it is essential to push back against attempts to silence dissent.