Rana Ayyub is one of many journalists targeted in the country. Women journalists in India have been trolled, received death and rape threats, found themselves objectified on apps, and are allegedly targeted by spyware like Pegasus. As a result of these digital authoritarian measures, women journalists are being surveilled, their privacy is being violated, and their freedom of expression is limited. Experts note that OGBV often gets translated to the offline sphere, leading to real-life consequences. Additionally, these measures limit sources of information since journalists are vital in bringing stories to the public. The attacks against women journalists are sexualised and gendered and go beyond their professional roles. Often, this is a tactic used to silence women journalists. In an interview, Neha Dixit, an award-winning journalist, explained: “I am being trolled for the stories that I write, but everyone ends up talking about my trolling and not the cause that I was writing about. As a result, trolling ends up muzzling us on more ends than one.”

Source: Online gender-based violence: A tool of digital authoritarianism in India · Global Voices