Lawmakers describe social media shaming nicknames as ‘digital violence’

A federal lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban social media public shaming with the use of “Lady” and “Lord” nicknames, a common practice in Mexico to denounce bad behavior.

But critics were quick to come up with a new hashtag for Deputy María de Jesús Rósete Sánchez — #LadyCensura, or Lady Censorship.

Written by fellow Deputy Olga Patricia Sosa, the bill would classify the use of such nicknames as “digital violence.”

“We’ve decided to present a bill to include the term ‘digital violence’ as a category of violence, defined as an action using information technology with the goal of causing psychological or emotional harm to a woman,” Rosete told the Permanent Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

“A Mexico that prevents and punishes gender violence against women in cyberspace is possible.”

Rosete noted that many of the people who have been given “lord” or “lady” nicknames are people who were recorded in unfortunate situations that will be immortalized on the web.

“The problem is that these attitudes especially target women,” she said. “Although it’s important to mention that digital violence doesn’t only have sexual goals; it can be related to different issues like age, social condition, gender, sexual preference, nationality or ethnic origin.”

Deputies Rósete and Sosa are both members of the conservative Social Encounter Party.

There have been several notable incidents that produced popular hashtags.

One was #LadyProfeco, the daughter of the then-head of the consumer protection agency. She threw a tantrum at a Mexico City restaurant in 2013 when she couldn’t have the table she wanted. Andrea Benítez called her father, who shut down the restaurant. He was forced to resign soon after.

Another was #Lord Audi, who drove illegally in a bicycle lane in Mexico City in 2016 and struck a cyclist. He fled the scene after telling police they should call his father. “This is Mexico, dude, got it?”

Source: El Universal (sp)