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One of social media’s harshest realities is the hostility women face on any platform. From incessant trolling to rape and death threats for speaking out to unsolicited messages and dick picks – the list goes on and on. Well, one tech company is looking to change the dynamics of how a traditional Web2-based social media platform like Facebook or Instagram functions.
‘Coto’ or ‘Coming Together’ is the latest offering from Eve World, a Web3 women-only social community platform that seeks to build a positive and valuable digital experience for women. Coto promises to “narrow the gender divide” on social media, where men outnumber women and, therefore, only allows women and transgender people to be users on the platform.
“To make the internet empowering and inclusive, we must have a safe space where we can freely express ourselves. Women don’t get the chance to have intimate conversations, which leads to self-censorship,” says Aparna Acharekar, co-founder of Eve World.
Rampant sexism, misogyny, and trolling have become almost synonymous with social media for women. On top of that, we don’t have many actionable laws that would safeguard women and transgender people. And even social media platforms like LinkedIn, whose entire premise is to inculcate professional connections, have misled women and transgender people.
“The platform will enable members to create, curate, consume and own content freely. The decentralized nature of blockchain will help overcome privacy issues,” says Tarun Katial, CEO of Eve World. “Think of this as WhatsApp into Instagram or WhatsApp into Reddit or Reddit into Instagram but only for women,” he added.
The platform will be based on Web3, or third-generation internet, which uses blockchain technology and the principles of decentralized ownership, meaning the members on the platform can freely create, curate, consume and own content, all the while overcoming issues with privacy. Furthermore, members on the forum will not be bogged down with data breaches, algorithm-based manipulation, and identity theft, a significant problem that women face.
Even though the internet has forever changed how we interact with the world and with each other, how information is disseminated and ideas are exchanged, women, especially in India, unfortunately, have not had a level playing field where they could take advantage of that.
One of the main things Acharekar felt was missing from “legacy social media platforms” is intimate conversations.
“Women tend to feel restricted as there is always a concern regarding abuse and harassment. Hence, no one feels free to discuss issues like menopause, motherhood, and sexual problems. ” She said, we want to open them up and have women make their groups and talk about such issues,” she said.
While women will be allowed to post anonymously on ‘coto,’ safeguards have been implemented during the registration process.
To set up an account on ‘Coto,’ a user must go through a basic KYC process involving facial recognition. This is done so that the platform knows if a user is a woman or a trans person. If a person does not want to be discovered, they can choose to withhold their identity while engaging with other community members once they register.
The platform also intends to monetize and help members showcase their business products via online marketplaces for women entrepreneurs on the forum.
