Just like other social media platforms, you can control your privacy on Facebook. But, when someone takes a picture of you without your consent or knowledge and shares it with others, you cannot have control. This was how Bois Locker Room Facebook group became known.
Bois Locker Room Group Chat Discovered
Disturbing news broke in India that caused considerable outrage from the public. Indian police have taken a minor into custody for being part of a group chat on Facebook that shared images of young girls and made lewd comments about them. It was believed that the group chat, known as Bois Locker Room, consisted of underage schoolboys in Delhi.
However, the Delhi Police Cyber Cell arrested an 18-year-old, who was believed to be the admin of the group chat. When brought for questioning, he told the police that he did not know the members of the Facebook group chat personally. 11 others were questioned and have admitted to being a part of Bois Locker Room.
This incident has caused considerable outrage in the capital of the country. The rape and murder case in 2012 in the city is still fresh to the people. Now, this news caused more considerable anger among the people.
Whatever those guys from "#BoysLockerRoom" did is absolutely wrong and they deserve to be put behind bars, but what about this GIRLS ONLY VERSION OF "BOIS LOCKER ROOM" objectifying & bodyshaming men, sharing their private pics without consent.
Why is nobody talking about them? pic.twitter.com/Z0LcS2vzA4
— vivekk (@oyevivekk) May 5, 2020
The lewd images of girls became public.
The incident about the Bois Locker Room is just one of the examples of the ongoing crime problem in the city. The members of the group chat were sharing images of young girls and their classmates without their consent or knowledge. They were also giving crude comments like jokes on rape and sexual assault, as well as body shaming.
Unfortunately, it also went out of the Facebook group chat, and the screenshots were widely shared on other social media platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp. According to a cyber-expert, the police and started investigating the case, many of the screenshots looked edited. It seemed like that images were a mix of the pictures from the Bois Locker Group with some similar groups existing on other platforms. Even though the Facebook accounts have been deleted, they were still able to trace the members and turn the information to the police.
Calling out Facebook
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, especially among young adults. Among all the countries with access to the network, India has the second-largest user base with 88 million users, next to the United States, with 120 million users. The platform is accessible for users who like sharing selfies and other photographic content. Sadly, it was also used for committing crimes.
The Delhi’s Women Commission became involved in the case, asking for an investigation into the group. They also contacted Facebook, asking for information about the group members, including their IP addresses. They had also questioned the platform about the actions they have taken to deal with the issue.
Facebook then informed the commission that they do not tolerate any behavior promoting sexual violence or exploiting anyone, especially young people. The platform also added that they had already taken action when they were informed of the group chat. However, the authorities reiterated that the social media network needs to be more liable and, if they fail, the police can go after them.
Is there an excuse for this behavior?
At one point, the lockdown was blamed for these behaviors. This is because cyber-security law experts found that there has been a massive increase in the number of visits to pornography websites among young people during the lockdown. There is no scientific data to prove this yet, but the commission has seen the rise in the trend. But, it was also found that these kinds of groups have already existed even before the lockdown.
One of the Country’s Most Unsafe Cities for Women
India has been consistently at war against crimes against girls and women, and Delhi seems to be at its heart. Known as one of India’s least safe places for women, Delhi seems to be always on the news for violations and crimes committed against females, whether young or old.
In 2018, there were 1,215 rape cases registered, in comparison to the 1,168 cases from the previous year. Sadly, in most of those cases, the accused were supposed to protect the victim. Often, it is a friend, neighbor, a family member, or someone known to the victim. Although there have been more strict laws against sexual assault, there has been little indication that the situation has improved significantly.
Disgusting that a girl sent out snapchat msg to a boy planning her own rape.
‘Bois Locker Room' chats are not connected to this Snapchat but equally offensive & warrant legal action!
The girl endangered cause of hundreds facing cyber abuse everyday! MUST be acted against too!
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) May 11, 2020
The outrage in Delhi
When Facebook users had been made aware of the Bois Locker Group chat, they started posting about the group. They began calling out its members for their despicable and criminal acts. A lot of abuse and outrage has been directed at them. Even with the public calling for those boys to be put to jail.
Some of the names of the group chat members have been made public on several platforms. But, a senior psychologist, Dr. Roma Kumar, said that going after them in public, especially online, wouldn’t solve the issues in the long term. It was counterproductive. Instead, the public shouldn’t seek to damage them but to help them get out of that negative behavior.
Conclusion
The Bois Locker Room Facebook group becoming known incidents have received a lot of arguments on the issue, especially about who should take responsibility for the problem. Is it the social media that allows everyone to be exposed to different types of content, the perpetrators, or their guardians? Or, is it the damaging society as a whole? Regardless of who or what to blame, the public has already given their say on the matter.
