Unwelcome Sexual Advances

Unwelcome sexual advances on platforms are a daunting challenge for trust and safety teams as they strive to create environments conducive to positive social interactions. Navigating the line between welcome and unwelcome advances is intricate because it is shaped both by individual preferences and by the norms and policies set by the platform. Some gestures that may be perceived as flirtatious and well-received in one context, or by one listener, may be deemed offensive and inappropriate in another. This dilemma is further complicated by the gender dynamics: on aggregate, women and men tend to have different reactions to sexual advances from strangers, and thus may have different expectations for the design and implementation of digital spaces. Yet another layer of complexity are cultural and community norms. While sharing intimate pictures prior to an encounter is routine in at least one online community, sending a kissy-face emoji can easily be offensive in another cultural context.

Crafting a one-size-fits-all set of rules is, therefore, impractical. Platforms are best served by relying on the judgement of their users. By doing so, they're outsourcing the task of setting behavioral norms to the very communities they serve. Empowering users to report and highlight infractions can be a potent tool, allowing platforms to navigate the fine line between enforcing safety and respecting diverse cultural and community nuances.

Additionally, research suggests that a significant proportion of these unwelcome advances stem from a small number of serial abusers. This characteristic presents platforms with an opportunity use escalating penalties to ensure that innocent misunderstandings aren't met with severe consequences while repeated transgressions face more severe consequences.