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While unwanted virtual contact may be scary to some, it is not "contact" as defined by language and does not constitute sexual assault.
by leesalminen 10y ago
While unwanted virtual contact may be scary to some, it is not "contact" as defined by language and does not constitute sexual assault.
- Mz 10y agoFirst, contact can mean communication with someone. Second, the internet has moderators all over it because merely saying ugly things to or about people can potentially cause real world harm. The article admits that no actual physical contact occurred. I agree the term sexual assault is problematic. But it is the norm for there to not be a ready made term for completely new, previously unavailable experiences. Anyway, I am planning on stepping away from this discussion. I find it galling that it is being limited to simply dismissing what happened to her as if her fear and upset don't really count because "it was just pixels on a screen."
- bitwize 10y agoIANAL but assault consists of harmful or offensive contact, or the threat of same. Under this definition: * psychological harm counts as harm * an activity which has the same psychological effect as contact may be defined as contact under law, especially when VR starts to incorporate haptic feedback * the law may still allow prosecution under the rubric that "virtual groping" constitutes a threat, as it certainly feels threatening * many women's rights groups consider the use of certain language or communication to be "violence against women"; and some jurisdictions may prosecute it as such The answer is it's not clear. The courts will eventually decide the issue.