Use of Encrypted Software Thwarts Anti-Bullying Efforts
Use of Encrypted Software Thwarts Anti-Bullying Efforts
What can a cyberbullying victim do when they are told by both police and school officials that there is nothing they can do to help them because the bully’s account is untraceable? A CNN article says that is what 18-year-old Brandy Vela of Texas City, Texas was told last month. With no solutions and no help, other than the suggestion to change her phone number, last week she found a gun and committed suicide in her family home.
Brandy had been a victim of bullying for years, taunted about her weight by anonymous Facebook users. Recently, someone posted her picture and phone number on a dating site, suggesting that she was available for no-strings sexual encounters. She and her parents reported the incidents to the police, as well as to school officials just before the Thanksgiving break, but they were told that the software used was encrypted and could not be traced.
The use of this type of software is the latest blow to anti-bullying efforts. If suspects are able to stay anonymous, victims have no hope that the harassment will stop. There are legitimate reasons for using encryption (such as keeping a client’s personal information private), but the software makers need to be able to hand over the encryption key information to law enforcement officials when presented with a court order, or risk being sued when another bullying victim runs out of options.
