Preventative Approach Ensures User Safety in Apps, Expert Believes

While abuse and harassment run rampant in social media platforms such as Twitter, Communia founder and CEO Olivia DeRamus believes that a preventative approach is key to ensuring a user’s safety in social media apps. 

“We respond immediately if a user runs into someone who breaks our guidelines. You won't have to beg us to take them off the app, because we really do act at the first instance of problematic behavior,” DeRamus told Spotlight in an exclusive interview. 

Communia, a social self-care app that provides resources, advice, and community support to women all over the world, also requires identity verification and prioritizes human moderation with Care Officers to make sure its users are safe. 

The CEO believes these app features should be a norm among other social media platforms. “I hope we'll start seeing other platforms adopting this stance,” she adds.  

DeRamus also explained the importance of building safe spaces for women, much like her media platform and discussion app.  

“A survivor certainly is not going to find support on platforms like Instagram or Twitter,” she explained, as someone who tried to find a safe way to access community support herself.  

This is why Communia allows its users to post anonymously, as some life experiences would require anonymity and access to people willing to support them. “It's very hard to find both and that's where we come in,” the CEO explained.  

“Women and marginalized genders can use the Communia app to talk about anything - whether that's a question about sexual health, mental health struggles, a first date gone bad, or a bad boss,” she added.  

When asked about the relationship between technology and gender equity, DeRamus expressed concern with how male tech creators in AI handle issues affecting women, like deep fakes, disinformation, and hate speech.  

“Technology will not promote gender equity if the creators of that technology don’t take into account how their products impact women and other marginalized members of our society,” the Communia founder shared.  

“As always, Communia will serve as a refuge for women and will continue to advocate for greater corporate responsibility.”