by Angie Liew
Let’s face the facts: For better or for worse, sex and nudity have become a norm in modern-day culture. With the internet, children, teenagers, and adults alike can easily access sexual content like never before. Despite this, for most of us, sending a nude is still no simple feat. It takes courage from the sender and trust in the receiver; to have faith that we will be respected and the exchange to be intimate. Yet, it seems that there are still those who not only miss the point, but consciously choose to violate the privacy of others. It would be upsetting enough if they were to share it with their friends, but what if they showed it to thousands more?
This time, our story hits a lot closer to home. Here in our very own Malaysia, a Telegram group chat, named ‘V2K’, with over 38,000 men has surfaced; exposed as a platform endorsing toxic masculinity, sexual harassment, and the utter dehumanization of women. According to screenshots collected by female infiltrators, the members shared unconsented images, videos, and pornographic media of women and underaged children. To add to the list, group admins offer a paid subscription fee for additional footage from illegally hidden cameras or hacked CCTVs.
Many victims have reported being harassed online by strangers after leaked and shared images of them appeared in the group. In August, a 17-year-old girl committed suicide after being threatened by a man to expose her nudes publicly if she refused to have sex with him. She is one of many.
There are many public stories by the brave survivors who are speaking out about the repulsive acts of these men, but I would like to address some underlying causes at play:
1. Toxic Masculinity (noun): a cultural concept of manliness that glorifies stoicism, strength, virility, and dominance.
2. Rape Culture (noun): a subset of values, beliefs, and behaviors in a society that trivializes or normalizes sexual violence, including rape.
It is grotesque that such a large number of men are profiting off illegal footage of unconsenting women. Not only is it clear that they are comfortable with their actions, but that they feel untouchable given each individuals’ insignificance with their safety in numbers. After all, in a group of tens of thousands, who would notice you in particular?
Evident in screenshots below, these perpetrators are the ideal product of society’s toxic masculinity mindset. When confronted, they deny the harmfulness of the group and dismiss their actions with phrases like “I’m a guy, what do you expect?”.
Source: RojakDaily.com
While not all uploaded media are explicitly sexual, many are simply videos of women just being women: Working out, drinking alcohol, on vacation, dancing, et cetera. It has become a vicious mentality of these men to think that the widespread circulation of such non-sexual images and videos is justifiable, a logic that is fundamentally flawed.
Their behavior is an endorsement of the idea that women are nothing more than commodities to be traded for their entertainment. Rape culture has often blamed victims of sexual harassment for wearing revealing clothing considered “too sexually provocative”. This over-sexualization of women can directly condition the minds of young men and boys that even modestly dressed women are now “sexy” and “hot”. Imagine how unsafe women would feel, knowing that just doing their daily activities are now considered “arousing”. This act of equating girls and women solely to their sex appeal is wrong. It is subtle. It is dangerous.
Source: _nsyakinah, Twitter
Enforced by the media and porn industry, the definition of masculinity has been shaped into one of power, control, and righteousness, especially over women. Not only have men often learned to demand sex, but many have turned to violent or manipulative methods to obtain their goals. In reality, not all men are like this, but many are often bystanders in situations where they could have taken action. There is an unspoken rule about not “breaking the bro-code”, in which men are pressured to protect other men. This is merely a social construct, made to allow the terrible actions of harassment to thrive, as many men turn a blind eye to behaviors they may even disagree with.
Reader, I implore you. Imagine if it were your sister, daughter, friend, or even mother who is sexually exploited on platforms such as these. Imagine if it was you. No one is safe while men in groups like these hide in the anonymity of throwaway numbers and fake names—their crimes remain unpunished.
Do not misunderstand: Consent is not received merely by the act of asking. It must be given willingly, without threats, fear, or manipulation. This cannot be emphasized enough, but sharing “sexy” photos of women and children without their permission is NOT the same as watching porn. Unlike porn actors and actresses, these victims have never consented to have their pictures distributed, viewed, and sexualized by strangers.
The first report on the 9th of June this year was to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), who promised to pursue Telegram on the matter actively. Even the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) have gotten involved, but they have not announced any significant signs of progress. It is time that we, as a global community, stand up against sexual misconduct such as this. Call out people whom you witness are taking advantage of the vulnerable, whether male, female, or otherwise. Become a part of the solution, and prevent these harmful acts from being normalized. There is a call for help. Will you answer?
Sign the petition to shut down V2K today.
Resources for Sexual Assault Victims
1. Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) +603-79563488
2. All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) +603-78770224
3. Women’s Centre For Change Penang (WCC Penang) +604-2280342
4. Sarawak Women For Women Society (SWWS) +6082-422660
5. Sabah Women’s Action-Resource Group (SAWO) +6088-280200
6. Protect And Save The Children (PS The Children) +6016-2273065