The stalking of journalists is a threat to our democracy.
09.03.2026 19:22
👍 9
🔁 1
💬 0
📌 0
The stalking of journalists is a threat to our democracy.
Happy International Women's Day!
All women and girls deserve a world where they can be safe, respected and free
The creator of Nearby Glasses made the app after reading 404 Media's coverage of how people are using Meta's Ray-Bans smartglasses to film people without their knowledge or consent. “I consider it to be a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech.”
We’ve identified at least ten cases in which chatbots, primarily ChatGPT, fed a user’s fixation on another real person — fueling the false idea that the two shared a special or even “divine” bond, roping the user into conspiratorial delusions, or insisting to a would-be stalker that they’d been gravely wronged by their target. In some cases, our reporting found, ChatGPT continued to stoke users’ obsessions as they descended into unwanted harassment, abusive stalking behavior, or domestic abuse, traumatizing victims and profoundly altering lives. Reached with detailed questions about this story, OpenAI didn’t respond.
We identified a number of cases in which chatbots — primarily ChatGPT — fueled a user's worsening obsession with another real person (or people.) This ranged from affirming false beliefs about "divine" connections; reinforcing romantic delusions; and insisting that the user had somehow been wronged.
NEW: ChatGPT and other chatbots are feeding users' fixations on real people, reinforcing users' delusional ideas and obsessions about others as they descend into unwanted harassment, stalking, and/or domestic abuse — traumatizing victims and profoundly altering lives.
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Animated cover of a faux romance novel called "The Romantic" with the sub titles: I told him I wasn't interested. But he spent 300 pages convincing me I was. Might be romantic in a book but no real life."
To enjoy a fantasy doesn't automatically mean you want it in real life!
It's dangerous to conflate fiction with reality. In real life, when someone says "I'm not interested", that doesn't mean "Just try harder."
"No means no" also means respecting people's boundaries when they reject you.
Decorative romantic elements like hearts with the words "Stalking is not romantic" and the subtitle Canadian Anti-Stalking Association
Stalking is not romantic ❌
Obsession is not romantic ❌
Persistence is not romantic ❌
True romance is built on consent, respect and trust - not intimidation and fear.
We're excited to see @lco-cdo.bsky.social tackling the growing use of digital monitoring and surveillance technologies in the workplace.
It's an issue that has huge implications for victims of stalking.
Research shows that Black women are less likely to report feeling fear from their stalker. In both Canada and the US, 'fear' is a standard for criminality which means Black women are less likely to get justice from the legal system. We must challenge misogynoir and how it impedes the ability of Black women to access justice. Stalking.ca
It's Black History Month; a perfect opportunity to examine the intersections of race and gender.
"Misogynoir" is a term coined by Moya Bailey in '08 to refer to the intersections of anti-Black racism and sexism.
It means Black women who are being stalked, are less likely to get justice.
January is Stalker Awareness Month, and these numbers should surprise you
CALL TO ACTION:
🟣learn the numbers in Canada
🟣share the info with friends & family
🟣call out harassment when you see it
#SAM2026 #StalkingAwareness #StalkingAwarenessMonth
@antistalkingcanada.bsky.social
January is Stalking Awareness Month #NSAM2026
Canadian research shows that women in particular are routinely held responsible for the actions of their stalkers, despite so much evidence that victims/survivors cannot change the behaviour of their stalkers.
Hold stalkers accountable - not victims!
Also, your ex is allowed to move on! They, and their future partners, don't deserve harassment because they broke up with you.
Respecting boundaries is paramount to building a safer world!
Image of a text exchange between two friends: So, Tanya told me my ex has a new gf.... Friend responds: OMG! Already?! Right?! Ugh. You free tonight? We should grab drinks and stalk her socials!
January is Stalking Awareness Month! #NSAM2026
Remember : Language matters!
The way that people throw around the word "stalking" makes it difficult for victims/survivors to be believed because "hey, haven't we all done a little light stalking in our day?!"
Don't say stalking unless you mean it!
Image of two women speaking with each other. One has a clipboard and is in the helping profession. The other has a speech bubble that says "I'm being stalked" The caption says "What we think a disclosure sounds like..."
What it actually sounds like (with an arrow pointing to the next image in the series)
Speech bubbles with the text "I feel like I keep seeing them everywhere" "They're freaking me out" "He won't leave me alone" "He's being creepy" Stalking.ca
Stalking isn't talked about as much as other forms of violence which contributes to many victims/survivors feeling unsure or confused.
Stalking behaviour can also be really bizarre! Or can be too scary to name directly.
It's important for allies to read between the lines so you can be supportive
Photo of Peggy Klinke with text explaining that she was murdered by her stalker on January 18, 2003
Photo of Peggy and her sister Debbie with the text "Her sister, Debbie Riddle, began speaking out about Peggy's case and helped found National Stalking Awareness Month"
Photos of Peggy with the text "Peggy had a sparkling personality and would light up a room. As the stalking continued and continued, we saw that shine face" - Debbie Riddle, Stalking Activist, Peggy's Sister and founder of National Stalking Awareness Month
On the anniversary of her murder, let's bring back the sparkle for Peggy Klinke and for all victims and survivors of stalking.
We're partnering with our American pals at @followuslegally.bsky.social to bring you the National Day of Action on Stalking!
Post a photo of you and/or your team wearing sparkly or shiny shirts, dresses, shoes, coats - whatever!
This Sunday, January 18th join us as we #SparkleAgainstStalking
January is Stalking Awareness Month!
We talk about stalking as a gendered crime because it is. Women are most likely to be the victims and according to Justice Canada, 9 out of 10 stalkers are men.
CASA / ACCHC logo with the text "Follow us on socials and sign up for our newsletter to help us make these legislative changes a reality" Stalking.ca
The law would also more explicitly name online harassment, online monitoring, etc. as forms of harassment. This would be tremendously helpful since so much harassment these days includes an online component and for too long, it was ignored by law enforcement.
3/3
Thankfully, our advocacy worked! Bill C-16 was proposed right before the holidays.
If passed, the law would be amended to "replace the requirement that the victim feared for their safety with a requirement that a reasonable person in the victim’s circumstances would fear for their safety."
2/3
CASA / ACCHC logo with the text "Did you know that in Canada, stalking is called criminal harassment? To meet the legal threshold,, you have to prove it was unwanted, repeated and made you fear for your safety." Stalking.ca
January is Stalking Awareness Month!
When we launched in 2024, we set out to change the law. "Made you fear your safety" is too subjective and there are numerous cases where a woman's anger, tenacity and resilience were used to dismiss the harassment because "Well, she doesn't seem scared."
1/3
The CASA logo of a lighthouse with the words January is Stalking Awareness Month
January is Stalking Awareness Month!
Join us as we raise awareness and work to create real change.
Stalking is a terrifying, persistent and highly dangerous form of gender-based violence. Let's work together to end it ✊
The holidays can be a really difficult time. We're here for you. Stalking.ca
The holidays can be a really hard time for survivors/victims of stalking.
There are so many expectations to give and receive warm wishes, cards, gifts, etc. This can create convenient opportunities for our stalkers to reach out and for us to look unkind or ungrateful if we don't accept. 🎁💌
December 17 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Sex Workers We all deserve safety and dignity at work
On this day to acknowledge the violence that is inflicted on sex workers by the state AND by individuals, we want to draw attention to the reality that sex workers are at increased risk of being stalked - hence why aliases are common practice!
Huge News! Bill C-16 was tabled this week and included amendments to Canada's stalking law! TLDR : We did it!
Thank you to everyone who amplified our calls for legal amendments to the Criminal Harassment law! We did it!
We know the legal system will not solve the issue of stalking and there's a long road ahead but while we're stuck in this carceral system, let's minimize harm and save lives. ✊
We are unbelievably proud to see this! Bill C-16 was announced yesterday which includes our work to change the law around stalking!
We've long advocated that the criteria of the victim has to prove they were "afraid for their safety" is too subjective and weaponizes people's resilience.
New from 404 Media: ChatGPT told a violent stalker to continue running his misogynistic and threat-filled podcast despite the “haters,” and to visit more gyms to find women. The man stalked women in multiple states, including touching and following from work
www.404media.co/chatgpt-spot...
They didn't invent this TikTok trend but they didn't need to participate in it.
Your ex blocked you? Leave them alone!
Most victims of stalking in Canada are stalked by an ex and it's the most lethal form.
Call us buzzkills but there's plenty of fun social media trends and this ain't it.
Thank you Sheima Benembarek from The Walrus for speaking with us about Canada's weak stalking laws and this country's fundamental misunderstanding of how lethal stalking can be.
November 25, 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Image of multicoloured women in profile Stalking.ca
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year's theme is digital abuse.
Fewer than 40% of countries have laws protecting women from cyber harassment or cyber stalking. This leaves 44% of the world’s women and girls without access to legal protection.
"A Regina police officer has pleaded guilty to using police databases to pursue intimate and personal relationships with women. [...] It's not clear how many people Semenchuk may have contacted."
Poster for the documentary "My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story" now streaming on Paramount+ featuring a photo of Eva LaRue with a man behind her depicted as her stalker.
Screengrab from the documentary that says "For information on Anti-Stalking Advocacy in Canada contact the Canadian Anti-Stalking Association (CASA) at stalking.ca"
"My Nightmare Stalker" is now streaming in the US on Paramount+ and here in Canada on Crave.
We're grateful to the production company Forté Entertainment for reaching out to include us as one of their resources for Canadian viewers.