Abuse and harassment

[ChrisJudge]

This morning, Sunday, December 9, 2018, My wife, who had left her avi logged on overnight sitting on the sofa in the living room of our home, while she slept, returned to her computer to find a stranger who had managed to circumvent our security orb, sitting on the sofa in an apparent make out pose.  She immediately stood and tped to our bedroom a short distance away.  The stranger then proceeded to harass her by clicking on her butt, setting off her spanker.  When she removed the spanker, he proceeded to click her lips setting off her kisser.  All the while my security orb is saying it is ejecting him.  We have note carded the incident, but other than the note card we have no other proof.  I have added the offender to our ban list and he has been banned from the island by the owner.  My question is basically two fold.  First, Can we file a report against the person for invasion of privacy and harassment?  And Secondly, How can we expect to be safe in our home if our security orb can be so easily circumvented?  

[Callum Meriman]

3 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

First, Can we file a report against the person for invasion of privacy and harassment?

You won't want to hear this, but unless it's divulging information, there is no right to privacy in SL.

And although you can report the incident, to cross the bar to harassment it needs to be persistent and happen more then once. I don't think a one time intrusion will be acted on, especially when there are tools you can use to secure your parcel - things like the parcel access list built into the game.

To me it seems you did the correct thing, you had the person added to the ban list. I'd go one step further though, I'd make your parcel one where only group and listed friends can visit. Effectively this pre-bans everyone you don't know.

3 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

How can we expect to be safe in our home if our security orb can be so easily circumvented? 

Are you sure the security orb is

1. from a reputable supplier
2. configured to do *both* TP Home,  and then eject/push from parcel in case the TP home is blocked (it's pretty easy to block a pure TP)
3. deeded properly

#3 is the most obvious mistake people make. If it's group owned land then the orb must be deeded to work. If the land is owned by a person, then only that person's orb will work - and then (unless you get the configuration perfect) it will only work if they are online.

If it has said it's ejecting him, then we know it's detecting, so I guess it's either not deeded, or not set up properly to use both kick methods.

3 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

My wife, who had left her avi logged on overnight sitting on the sofa in the living room of our home, while she slept

I'd honestly advise you to ask your wife to log out when she sleeps, and not just to save the real world from wasted CO2.

The TOS/CS state that you are responsible for what your avatar does. If someone repeats this event, and uses her avatar in a TOS/CS breaking way while she sleeps she can be banned. The ban can in some abhorent cases be permanent.

I don't consider it safe to sleep online.

[Rolig Loon]

Well, you can always file an Abuse Report.  I doubt that Linden Lab will do much about it, though, because there's no apparent TOS violation.  Harrassment implies repeated undesirable contact, and there's little expectation of privacy in SL.  I am sure your wife was upset and frightened by the incident.  I recall my own emotions under those circumstances many years ago. It's mildly comforting to remember, once your heart stops pounding, that you cannot be harmed physically in SL.  It's still upsetting.

Your best defense against situations like this is to TP away (to someplace a little more distant than the next room) or simply to log out.  Your security orb should have managed to eject the intruder, but either it was set up incorrectly or the intruder had some clever way to evade it.  You should probably double check the settings, particularly the range.  Personally, I have never bothered with a security orb, since I know that I can always eject and ban anyone from my land personally if I am there, and there's no need for preventing visitors when I am not around.

[LittleMe Jewell]

4 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

How can we expect to be safe in our home if our security orb can be so easily circumvented?  

Physically, you are always safe in SL -- nobody can REALLY hurt you.  Emotionally safe can be a crap-shoot pretty much anywhere on the internet, all depending on how personal you take things and sensitive you are.

 

[Klytyna]

13 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

First, Can we file a report against the person for invasion of privacy

You can file one but it will be thrown in the trashcan...

No right to "privacy" in SL other than "not revealing RL info".

14 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

and harassment?

Theoretically yes but...

14 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

by clicking on her butt, setting off her spanker

14 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

click her lips setting off her kisser

By wearing "!publicly clickable attachments, you are deemed to have consented to having them publicly clicked...

So unless the "harassment" went on for several days, realistically, that's another AR for the trashcan file.

14 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

How can we expect to be safe in our home if our security orb can be so easily circumvented? 

Lagtech Security Orbs are generally pretty crap things, they are a pain to set up properly, or to make them work. See Callum's reply. Banlines are better, but people seem to dislike setting a parcel "group only" access .
 

[Bebe Bunny]

3 hours ago, Klytyna said:

Lagtech Security Orbs are generally pretty crap things, they are a pain to set up properly, or to make them work. See Callum's reply. Banlines are better, but people seem to dislike setting a parcel "group only" access .
 

Sadly depending on where they rented, some places don't allow banlines and they sai it goes only up to 90m or something as well. I've used to rent on a place like that some time ago.

 

Maybe the orb needs to be deeded to the land group to actually work.

[ChrisJudge]

I would like to thank you all for weighing in on this question.  We did file a report with Linden labs, along with a copy of the transcript from local chat where it shows this intruder clicking on her spanker repeatedly even after she asked him to stop.  Then she removed the spanker and he began clicking her kisser.  To me this was not a one time attack, but multiple attacks taking place within the same time frame.  I am unaware of these types of items with user lock out controls on them.  I also am aware that when you wear such an item in a public venue that you are basically giving consent to anyone who wants to to use them.  However, one would expect that if you are at your home which you pay rent for that your privacy should be respected.  In my eyes, this was an abusive attack by someone who needs some serious help.  

Since the attack, I have given my wife direct orders to not leave her avi online while she is asleep or for any length of time where she will be afk.  I have also had the intruder banned and has passed his user name around to my friends so that non of them have to suffer at his hands.  We have also tested the security orb and we know it to be working properly.  She and I both felt like this was a personal attack from someone we know or have had contact with previously.  We have also removed everything from our profile that had a slurl leading to our home and have removed everyone from the security protocols except ourselves and our daughter.  I have also taught my wife how to eject and ban a person and given her the authority to do so.  

I feel like, she should be safe at our SL home even when I am not online.  Just as she should be in RL.  

[Pamela Galli]

Just a heads up: I have seen video games where people try to shoot/blow up/ kill your avi! Very violent

[Fenimore Hapmouche]

2 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

(...) I have given my wife direct orders (...)

Nice.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Fenimore Hapmouche said:

3 hours ago, ChrisJudge said:

I have given my wife direct orders

Nice.

Twas my first reaction too, but then I read the profile and the wife is collared, thus 'orders' are not out of line.