US reforms on sexual harassment will be patchy

Significance

It is illegal for an employer to allow sexual harassment in the workplace, and federal and state legislatures face rising pressure to curb it in workplaces, colleges and their own chambers. Social media platforms, the main location of sexual harassment, are failing to stop it.

Impacts

• The 'metaverse' of virtual and augmented reality will have potential to escalate online sexual harassment to new levels.
• Addressing online sexual harassment under the same criminal laws as physical sexual assault, or as a hate crime, is a remote prospect.
• Courts will expand the definition of where intent to threaten someone encroaches on online free speech.