BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DeleteMe, a leading online privacy protection service, announces its collaboration with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) to help women and nonbinary journalists protect themselves against online attacks and cyberbullying through doxxing. The collaboration is supported by the Microsoft Democracy Forward program and will provide free DeleteMe memberships to women and nonbinary journalists, reducing the availability of their personal information online ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.
With online harassment growing, and 30 percent of reporters experiencing digital violence, journalists face unprecedented risks. The collaboration between DeleteMe and IWMF seeks to increase the safety of these journalists by offering comprehensive online privacy protection, ensuring that journalists can continue their essential work without risk of doxxing.
Doxxing is the act of publicly and maliciously revealing personal information about an individual, and it poses significant risks for journalists. It can lead to online harassment campaigns that translate to in-person violence. Moreover, doxxing disproportionately affects women.
To prevent doxxing, DeleteMe expunges an individual's personal information from search engines and data brokerage sites. Participating journalists simply have to create a DeleteMe account and submit their personal information. DeleteMe does the rest by searching the internet for their information and requesting its removal. This reduces the likelihood of bad actors obtaining and sharing a journalist’s personal information, exposing them to threats and intimidation.
Microsoft’s Democracy Forward is helping to fund the program as part of its commitment to safeguarding open and secure democratic processes, supporting independent journalism and journalists, and promoting a healthy information ecosystem.
“In this particularly charged political moment, online harassment seeks to chill essential reporting that’s a critical pillar to our democracy,” said Elisa Lees Muñoz, Executive Director of the IWMF. “Through our partnership with DeleteMe, and thanks to Microsoft, the IWMF can ensure that journalists are given every tool possible to safeguard their work and protect themselves from abuse.”
“Freedom of the press is a fundamental right,” said Noreen Gillespie, Microsoft’s Democracy Forward team's Journalism Director. “As journalists serve their communities by reporting on issues that matter, they shouldn't have to fear violence or intimidation. Microsoft is committed to working with DeleteMe and IWMF to protect journalists by employing tools and providing resources so journalists can focus on their craft without fear.”
About DeleteMe
DeleteMe is the industry leader in personal data protection and the creator of the Privacy-as-a-Service industry category. With over 100 million individual pieces of data removed since 2009, DeleteMe serves at the forefront of the personal data removal domain. The company's core mission is to simplify the process of managing personal data online, ensuring that individuals and businesses can minimize risks to cybersecurity and personal safety.
About the International Women’s Media Foundation
The IWMF is the only global organization built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists. It is a bold and inclusive organization that supports journalists where they are with awards, reporting opportunities, fellowships, grants, safety training and emergency aid. As one of the largest supporters of women-produced journalism, its transformative work strengthens equal opportunity and press freedom worldwide. Follow the IWMF on Twitter at @IWMF, on Facebook at @IWMFPage, on Instagram on @TheIWMF and on TikTok @theiwmf.
Media contact:
Daniela Davila
PR Manager
DeleteMe
Daniela@intelligentrelations.com
