Violations of Sexual and Information Privacy: Understanding Dataraid in a (Cyber)Rape Culture

Abstract

Technology-facilitated sexual violence is a violation unique to the digital age that extends the analog-era rape culture, but electronic privacy invasions are often an overlooked part of these violations. This article examines three emblematic cases of information privacy violations that get used, framed, or rationalized in connection with violations of sexual privacy. In showing how aggressive electronic intrusions borrow the well-worn tropes of rape culture, we show how violations of sexual and information privacy are linked in the digital age. Digital violations of both sexual and information privacy are impacted simultaneously by rape culture and surveillance culture, which are mutually reinforcing.

Keywords: dataraid; datarape; sexual privacy; surveillance; technology-facilitated sexual violence.