How can you protect yourself?
===
The best way to protect yourself from online harassment is to take action beforehand. It is therefore essential to know **what information about you is available online**, think about what it reveals about you, and take steps to remove it where possible.
### On your social media accounts
Review the privacy settings of your social media accounts to see what data is exposed on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/settings/audience_and_tagging),
[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/privacy/checkup/?source=settings_and_privacy), [Instagram](https://echap.eu.org/ressources/guides/guide-de-confidentialite-et-de-securite-pour-instagram/),
[Tiktok](https://support.tiktok.com/fr/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/making-your-account-public-or-private).
### Get the old skeletons out of the closet
Check that you haven't forgotten an old account on a platform or online service with [whatsmyname](https://whatsmyname.app/).
### Have you been pwned?
Check that none of your accounts have been subject to a data breach. Enter your email address on [Firefox Monitor](https://monitor.firefox.com/) or [haveibeenpwned](https://haveibeenpwned.com/).
### Identify information that can be found about you
* Search for yourself and your close family members
* Set up [Google alerts](https://www.google.fr/alerts#) for your name, address, and other information such as your date of birth or address. Set up alerts for common misspellings of your name
### Raise awareness among your friends and family
Talk to your family and friends about the information they post about you and others. Explain what information you are comfortable sharing and what you want to keep private. Discuss with them the possibility of limiting posts in which they tag you.
*Ideally*, use different accounts for work and personal life: one email address for work, one for personal use, and the same for social media.
### What strategy should you adopt?
- Real identity
- ~~Anonymity~~
- Pseudonymity
- Collective identity
What to do if you've been targeted?
===
* A. Ask for help
* D. Document
* L. Lock your account
* D. Delete
* R. Report
### A. Ask for help
Talk to someone else. In a cyberbullying situation, the most important thing is not to stay silent and isolated. If necessary, you can entrust your accounts to this trusted third party so that they can manage the situation while the storm passes.
### D. Document
**Document** the harassment you have experienced. Take screenshots, save messages and information about the cyberbullies (you or your trusted third party if you have already delegated your account). This information will be used to report and characterize the situation, and even to file a complaint.
### L. Lock
**Lock** your social media accounts. Change your privacy settings to restrict access. You can basically set them to private or use more advanced privacy options such as “do not let me be found” or “do not display/share my friends list.” Also, and most importantly, do not hesitate to block the harassers.
### D. Delete
Request that content used to harass you be removed. Most search engines provide an online form you can fill out to request removal. Submit a request to each search engine concerned: Bing, Qwant, Google, Yahoo, and others.
### R. Report
**Report** content to the platforms:
* [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594)
* [Twitter](https://help.x.com/fr/rules-and-policies/twitter-report-violation1)
* [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a544974/reconnaitre-et-signaler-comme-spam-de-contenu-inappropries-et-un-des-groupes)
* [Instagram](https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/165828726894770)
* [Snapchat](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012399221652-How-do-I-report-abuse-or-illegal-content-on-Snapchat)
* [TikTok](https://support.tiktok.com/fr/safety-hc/report-a-problem)
* [WhatsApp](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/staying-safe-on-whatsapp/?lang=fr#Report)
* [YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027)
**File a complaint** [at the police station or gendarmerie](https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Contact/Contacter-une-brigade-de-gendarmerie-ou-un-commissariat-de-police) or in writing to the [public prosecutor of the judicial court](https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R11469) with jurisdiction over you, providing all the evidence in your possession.
* [The anti-harassment guide from cybermalveillance.gouv.fr](https://www.cybermalveillance.gouv.fr/tous-nos-contenus/fiches-reflexes/que-faire-en-cas-de-cyberharcelement-ou-harcelement-en-ligne) under open license (part of this presentation is inspired by it)
* The tactical tech guide: [Zen and the art of making tech work for you](https://gendersec.tacticaltech.org/wiki/index.php/Complete_manual)
* The Digital First Aid Kit test: [Are you a victim of online harassment?](https://www.digitalfirstaid.org/fr/topics/harassed-online/)
