Online Abuse Prevention Initiative

Online Abuse Prevention Initiative
Available inEnglish
FounderRandi Lee Harper
CommercialNo
LaunchedMarch 2015; 11 years ago (2015-03)

The Online Abuse Prevention Initiative (OAPI) was an organization founded in 2015 that aimed to study and combat abuse on the Internet.

History

OAPI was created by Randi Lee Harper in response to Twitter's lack of tools for filtering online harassment. OAPI was founded in 2015, with Crash Override Network's Zoë Quinn and Alex Lifschitz stated as serving on the inaugural board of directors. In March 2015 Quinn announced a formal partnership between the two organizations. As of April 2016, Harper's work on OAPI was supported by individuals who contributed money via Patreon.

Activities

The stated goals of the OAPI are to study online abuse, and to reduce and mitigate it through technical measures and collaboration with tech companies. Its first public campaign in July 2015 was an open letter to ICANN, the organization responsible for coordinating the Internet's Domain Name System, opposing the latter's plans to end anonymity of WHOIS records for commercial websites. OAPI argued that ICANN's proposals would make it easier for abusers to physically endanger domain name registrants through doxxing and swatting, and that those marginalized for their race, gender, or sexual orientation are disproportionately at risk. The letter attracted signatures and support from over fifty organizations supporting online privacy or protection of at-risk communities, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, The Tor Project, and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

References

  1. ↑ Amidon, Timothy R.; Stedman, Kyle; DeVoss, Dànielle Nicole (2018). "Remix and Unchill: Remaking Pedagogies to Support Ethical Fair Use". In Hobbs, Renee (ed.). The Routledge Companion to Media Education, Copyright, and Fair Use. New York: Routledge. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-3172-6834-5.
  2. ↑ "About OAPI". Online Abuse Prevention Initiative. n.d. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016 – via WordPress.
  3. ↑ Needleman, Sarah E. (March 4, 2015). "Game Developer: The Gaming Industry Is Not Doing Enough to Combat Misogyny". Digits. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Alexander, Leigh (April 13, 2016). "Online abuse: how women are fighting back". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  5. ↑ Poland, Bailey (2016). Haters: Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online. Lincoln, Neb.: Potomac Books. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-6123-4766-0.
  6. 1 2 Hern, Alex (July 10, 2015). "Icann plan to end website anonymity 'could lead to swatting attacks'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Benjamin F. (July 7, 2015). "Move to combat piracy could increase Internet harassment, activists say". USA Today. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Belfiore, Guillaume (July 9, 2015). "L'ICANN : vers la fin d'un Internet anonyme" [ICANN: towards the end of an anonymous Internet?]. Clubic (in French). Retrieved April 28, 2023.