Publication: July/August 2025
A growing body of research in security and privacy focuses on threats and defenses that intersect with gender and sexuality (both sexual identity and sexual behavior or abuse). Existing research on threats includes a focus on digitally mediated intimate partner violence, image-based sexual abuse, and online hate & harassment. Existing research on defenses includes work on help-seeking, clinical computer security, nudity, and grooming detection as well as work on how some defenses (e.g., client-side scanning) threaten rights to free expression via secure communication.
This special issue calls for original empirical research results and commentary focused on gender and sexuality as lenses through which to investigate emerging issues in security and privacy. Incorporating and building on individual approaches, sociotechnical and societal perspectives of gender and sexuality can improve efforts to promote security and privacy for all people. We embrace work that wrestles with difficult challenges in this space such as the balance between mitigating harm and protecting sexual expression; how to define safety in the intersection of gender and sexuality; and navigating the incentives, abilities, or responsibilities of diverse stakeholders to establish enduring safety.
We welcome pieces that provoke discussion, inspire new research agendas, systematize existing bodies of knowledge, critique existing approaches, and/or offer original case studies or research on the following topics:
- Gender and sexuality (both sexual identity and sexual behavior or abuse) in relation to online safety (and privacy and security)
- Feminist, queer, and critical theory within online safety research
- Novel research methods, approaches or design perspectives that center gender and sexuality in online safety (and privacy and security) research
- Research ethics and responsibility when conducting online safety research in relation to gender and sexuality
- Technical and socio-technical mechanisms to mitigate gendered and sexuality-related online safety harms
- Consideration of emerging technologies including AI generation, AR/VR, and haptics from a gender and sexuality perspective
- Behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, stereotypes, needs, or threat models related to (1) marginalization or privilege by gender or sexual identity and/or (2) situational risk or behavior as a result of gender or sexuality (e.g., in relation to intimate content)
- Policy related to any of the above, e.g., the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Services Act, Australia’s Online Safety Act, Canada’s Bill-63 – Online Harms Act, the U.S.’s Executive Order on AI Safety or Call to Action on Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery
Submission Guidelines
For author information and submission criteria for full-papers, please visit the Author Information page. As stated there, full papers should be 4900 – 7200 words in length, with a maximum of 15 references. Authors should not assume that the audience has specialized experience in a particular subfield. Manuscripts should not be published or currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Submissions will be evaluated on relevance to the theme of this specific issue and novelty.
Please submit full papers through the ScholarOne system. When uploading your paper, select the appropriate special issue title under the category “Manuscript Type” and include complete contact information for all authors.
Commentary pieces should be 2,200-3,700 words in length. Submissions will be evaluated for ability to provoke, inspire, or critique. Commentary pieces should be emailed to the Guest Editors at sp4-25@computer.org by the submission deadline.
For both types of submissions, the writing style should be down-to-earth, practical, and original. Submissions should have a maximum of 15 references. Authors should not assume that the audience has specialized experience in a particular subfield. Manuscripts should not be published or currently submitted for publication elsewhere.
Questions?
Contact the guest editors at sp4-25@computer.org.
- Kovila Coopamootoo, King’s College London
- Elissa M. Redmiles, Georgetown University
- Miranda Wei, University of Washington
