Socio-Cultural Strategy

Socio-Cultural Strategy

Legal Protection of Women Against Digital Violence on Platforms: From Individual Responsibility to Platform Responsibility

Document Type : Original Article

Author
ehsan Rafiei Alavi
Associate Prof. Associate Professor of Law, Faculty of Fiqh and Law, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran.
10.22034/scs.2026.584715.1816
Abstract
The transformation of digital ecosystems and the rise of algorithmic governance have fundamentally challenged traditional structures of power and classical models of legal protection. In this context, women, as one of the most vulnerable social groups in digital environments, face new forms of violence that can no longer be understood merely as individual criminal acts; rather, they are reproduced through platform architectures, data economies, and algorithmic systems. This article examines the challenges of women's digital rights within the Iranian legal system through a descriptive-analytical method and by drawing upon the literature of digital law, platform governance, and gender justice. The findings demonstrate that the traditional model of criminal justice, due to its individualistic and reactive nature and its neglect of the structural role of platforms and algorithms, is insufficient for the effective protection of women in digital spaces. Accordingly, the article proposes a model of "digital justice-oriented governance" based on platform responsibility, algorithmic transparency, data justice, and preventive-restorative protection. The novelty of the study lies in reconceptualizing digital violence against women not merely as a cybercrime, but as a manifestation of the transformation of power structures in the age of algorithmic governance. From this perspective, the article seeks to provide a theoretical framework for redesigning legal protection of women in digital spaces through a reconsideration of responsibility in the era of platform power and data-driven governance.
Keywords
Women's digital rights
algorithmic governance
digital justice
platform responsibility
digital violence
data justice
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 02 June 2026
  • Revise Date 13 August 2026
  • Accept Date 15 August 2026