Online safety for LGBTQI+ activists

Psychological safety for activists on social media

To be better prepared to counter online attacks, it is important to take care of your psychological state. The best way to do that in online activism is a clear understanding of your own boundaries and a separation of your identities

Why does this matter?

Because people are perceived differently online and offline. If you receive negative comments or threats, or face trolling, it is important to remember that at that moment the attackers do not perceive you as a living person with feelings, they see only an avatar on social media and their own rush of emotions (shame, hatred, fear, and so on) — everything else is the realm of their fantasies.

By taking such attacks personally, you “expose” your own personality to the blow. You cannot withstand attacks on your personality for long; sooner or later defense mechanisms will kick in,  and they lead, for example, to burnout syndrome.

As in any professional work, in activism you need to distinguish between the forms in which you present your own identity.

Professional identity

is more functional and more resilient, it has boundaries of competence and can stay out of whatever lies beyond those boundaries

The personal self

is the form in which it is safe to present yourself to the people close to you, those with whom you have built trust and with whom you know you will not be hurt in a vulnerable place

If we enter a dialogue with a “troll” in the form of the personal self, the boundaries blur: they do not see you as a human being, yet you are forced to defend your human dignity.

The same is true of stress: activist work means passing an enormous amount of alarming, frightening information through yourself. Most likely, this information will concern not only your activism but your own identity as well.

So separating the personal from the professional matters here too.

So what can you do?

1. Tell criticism apart from hate speech

Criticism is what you receive at your own request in the position of the personal self, and what is aimed at improving your work and communication in the position of the professional self. If a statement contains insults, belittling, or threats — that is hate speech, and you have the right to shut down such forms of communication unilaterally.

2. Set boundaries

Beyond information security, it is important to separate your professional and personal presence online. Do you have an online space where you can take care of your own interests and needs, or do work updates and notifications keep landing in your field of attention while you are texting friends or watching a show? Do you have time when you can choose not to react to messages and new developments? Whenever possible, keep conversations on topics related to activism inside chats and groups set up for that purpose. Create separate social media accounts for activist interaction and for personal communication, or even separate devices.

3. Build a support community

The internet is a space where you can be in touch with the whole world and at the same time feel like the loneliest person in it. Chronic stress from online abuse only deepens that sense of isolation. You can call on your own audience for support, join chats with other activists, and attend support groups for activists. It is good to have a community of like-minded people united around a shared cause in activism, where you can both look for help and simply share experiences in a safe environment.

4. Protect yourself

Between “feeding the troll” and “rising above it” there are countless options. You do not have to enter a discussion with someone who violates your boundaries. But you can counterattack in healthier ways. You can state which forms of communication are unacceptable and how to recognize them, debunk disinformation, run a fact-check, or launch a solidarity flash mob. This way you reclaim your own agency, protect your reputation, and do not spend your energy on a meaningless exchange of hate.

5. Take care of yourself

Remember that this is not your fault. Online hate and trolling can bring up feelings of fear and shame. It is exhausting and demoralizing. It can do real and lasting harm to your mental and physical health. It is important not to ignore your feelings and to remember that chronic stress from activism can affect people differently depending on their experience. Find time to care for yourself. It can be anything: from meditation or cooking to listening to music or going for walks. Whatever you choose, it should include regular breaks from being online.

Armed with your own resilience, psychological literacy, and the support of others, you have the power to stand up to hate online and to protect space for free expression in the digital sphere.

A troll attack. What to do about abusive messages and comments

If you are under 18

If you are under 18 and you have faced cyberbullying, threats, or harassment, it is important to tell an adult about it. It can be your parents, guardians, or other family members. It can also be someone at school — a teacher or a psychologist, for example — someone you trust. Sometimes the first person you turn to will not be able to help you, but do not give up! Keep talking until you reach someone who can help.

Why tell adults?

First, this is someone who can be there with you in what you are going through. Someone with greater resilience and more experience of getting through difficult, stressful situations.

Second, an adult can help you in a situation that calls for serious countermeasures: talking to your parents if you are not sure they will hear you; filing a police report together with your parents; finding more resources and, ultimately, helping you assess the risks more objectively.

Remember: even though you have fewer resources to influence the situation (legally, physically, psychologically), you have the right to receive protection and help. Silence is the “best friend” of bullying. By keeping threats and harassment secret, you only protect the aggressor, and this most often makes the situation worse. Speaking up can be hard, but it is worth remembering that you are not to blame for the bullying. Bullying is a form of violence with serious consequences for mental health, and only the aggressor is to blame for violence.

Talking about bullying is not weakness. It is a necessary measure for your psychological and physical safety.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Screenshots

Save all threatening or offensive messages – take screenshots and store them in a separate folder. The screenshot must show the date of the comment/message and the social network. Also save the link to the post or comment.

IMPORTANT: if you are going to block the offender’s account, take all the screenshots you need (if any) before you block it. After blocking, on most social networks all messages and comments from that account disappear or stop being visible to you.

2. Reporting

Submit a report about the abuser’s account or comment.

Facebook

To report a specific post, click the three dots next to that post and select “Find support or report post”.

You can choose one of several reasons why you want to report this post: nudity, violence, harassment, suicide or self-injury, false news, spam, unauthorized sales, hate speech, terrorism, or something else.

In some cases Facebook may ask you to clarify the problem. For example, after you select “hate speech” it will ask whether it is based on race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. After you select “harassment” it will ask: are you or a friend being harassed? Provide as much clarifying information as possible – this affects how quickly and how well your report is handled.

Once you have submitted the report, in the same window you can block, unfollow, or hide posts from this account.

The process for reporting a comment or an account is exactly the same — find the three-dot icon and choose the option you need.

Instagram

You can report a post on Instagram, a story or an account through the app or through a browser.

Open the menu (by tapping the three dots) and select “Report”. In the next window choose the reason for the report. If you are reporting a post as inappropriate, the next window will ask about the specific reasons for the report: hate speech or symbols, violence, bullying or harassment, and so on.

The final step gives you the option to block the account

Youtube

On Youtube you can report a comment, a video, or a channel.

To report a video, click the three dots next to it and choose one of the offered reasons for the report: sexual content, violent or repulsive content, hateful or abusive content, harassment or bullying, harmful or dangerous acts, child abuse, promotes terrorism, spam or misleading content, infringes my rights.

You can send a report about a specific comment in the same way: click the three dots and choose the reason for the report: unwanted commercial content or spam, pornography or sexually explicit material, child abuse, hate speech or graphic violence, harassment or bullying.

To report a channel, go to the channel page, open the “about” tab and find the flag icon. Click it and select “report user”.

The methods described assume that you have signed in to your Google account beforehand. If you would like to avoid that or do not have an account at all, you can also submit a report using this link. There you can choose the reason for the report: copyright infringement, trademark infringement, counterfeiting, defamation, or other illegal content.

Telegram

Here you can report a channel by clicking the three dots to the right of its name and choosing “report”.

You can also block an unwanted account by opening it, tapping the three dots at the top and choosing “block”.

TikTok

On TikTok you can report a video. The reporting procedure differs slightly depending on whether you do it in the app or in a browser.

In the app on your device, tap the “Share” button on the side of the video, or press and hold your finger on the video itself. Tap “Report” and choose a reason for the report, adding a clarification from an additional list if needed. Then tap “Submit”.

In a browser, move the cursor to the top of the video next to the “…” icon. Click “Report” and choose a reason from the list offered, adding a clarification from an additional list if needed. Then click “Submit”.

To report a comment, press and hold it, and then proceed in much the same way as with a video.

To report an account, open the relevant profile, tap “Share” in the app or “…” in a browser, then select “Report”, then “Report account”, choose a reason and tap “Submit”. You can also block that account by selecting “Block”.

X (Twitter)

On X you can also report an individual post or the offender’s account.

To submit a report, select the “…” icon on the post or profile in question and click “Report”. Then choose whether you are reporting solely on your own behalf, on behalf of someone else or a group, or whether the problematic content concerns users in general.

You will also have the option to describe the problem in more detail and, if necessary, to give links to other posts that reveal the context more fully. Then you will need to confirm that the information you provided is accurate. At the end you will also receive recommendations on what else can be done in such a situation.

Reddit

This platform is often used to share content without permission. So even if you are not a user of it, it is worth knowing about the reporting options it offers.

To report a post or a comment, select the “…” icon above it. Then choose the category of the material you are reporting, among options such as “sharing personal information” and “sharing intimate content without consent”.

If you do not have a Reddit account, you will need to create one in order to submit a report. That requirement can be off-putting, but the upside is that it is easy to do without providing an email address.

3. Blocking and restricting access

Block the accounts of trolls who send unwanted private messages or hateful comments.

Facebook

Blocking accounts or blocking messages

You can block accounts and / or messages on Facebook. After that you stop seeing that account, its posts and its other activity – and likewise its user stops seeing you.

Temporary blocking (muting)

Facebook has no exact equivalent of muting, but you can “snooze” unwanted accounts or groups for 30 days, mute the stories of other users, and permanently unfollow posts from hostile accounts.

Important for Facebook page admins: you can prevent comments with certain keywords from appearing.

Instagram

Blocking

When you block users on Instagram, your account disappears completely for the offenders; they can see your comments on other people’s posts, but they cannot interact with your comments. Instagram will retroactively remove all comments and likes from blocked accounts under your posts, as well as their messages.

You will also stop seeing the posts and activity of blocked users.

Temporary muting

Instagram lets you mute posts or stories, filter comments by keywords or by preset filters, and mute accounts entirely.

Restricting

When you restrict an offender’s account on Instagram, they cannot see when you are online or whether you have read their messages. Comments from restricted accounts on your posts will stay hidden, but you can always make a comment visible if you want to.

Youtube

Blocking a commenter

On YouTube you can stop specific offenders from commenting on your videos, but they can still see any video you publish.

A video guide on how to report and block hate on social media

To delete or not to delete abusive comments?

The situation: unpleasant comments from trolls and haters appear on your social media pages.

Option 1 – do not delete comments at all

Pros:

1. any comments left under a post increase its reach and help it be seen by a wider audience;
2. a hateful comment is a good occasion for your supporters to voice a defense and to bring arguments into the discussion of the topic of the post.

Cons:

1. negative comments can be unpleasant and traumatizing for the people who see them;
2. a large number of hateful comments can frighten your followers and take away their desire to comment on your posts out of fear;
3. a large number of comments left without a reply can create the false impression that you do not moderate your own social media.

Option 2 – delete all hateful comments

Pros:

1. maintaining a non-toxic and comfortable atmosphere in the comments on your social media, demonstrating a safe space that is moderated.

Cons:

1. creating a false impression among your supporters that your work is received entirely positively. This can be dangerous in the absence of a realistic picture.

Option 3 (the optimal one) – partial deletion of hateful comments

We recommend deleting only those comments that are an open display of aggression, contain calls to violence, obscene language and/or may be triggering for your audience. Leave the ones that will encourage your audience to voice their own attitude to the topic as well and to write comments in defense of the point of view expressed in the post.

We also recommend moderating comments by leaving substantive replies in comment threads with opponents, thereby sending the right message to your audience – you are moderating, you are watching, this is a safe place.

Protecting access to your accounts and personal information

Preparing for possible attacks is far more effective than reacting to them afterwards.

So here are the basic steps toward your cybersecurity.

Passwords

Do not use the same passwords for several accounts.

Do not use phone numbers, birthdays, family members’ names and the like in your passwords, because such passwords are easy to guess. Also, a good password should be long enough and contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Use a password manager. Although modern browsers have built-in password managers, using them is not secure enough. Instead, we recommend using a dedicated password manager: Bitwarden (https://bitwarden.com/) (free), KeePass (https://keepass.info/) (paid).

Check whether your personal data has been leaked. In particular, at this link you can enter an email address and see whether data connected to it from various online services has become publicly available. If there are passwords among that data, they need to be changed urgently. Google can also check the security of the passwords saved in your account and whether some of them have been compromised (see the section “Security and privacy settings” below).

Two-factor authentication

Be sure to turn on two-factor authentication in the settings of your email and your social media.

Two-factor authentication will require you to enter a code sent to your phone every time someone tries to log in to your account from a new (unregistered) browser or computer.

This means that even if an attacker knows your password, they will not get access to the account.

Facebook

Instagram

Gmail

Trusted device

When you (on your first login to an account with two-factor authentication) chose the option “don’t ask again on this computer”, the platform treats that device as trusted and will not require the second authentication step every time. It is important to mark as trusted only those devices that only you have access to (your smartphone and/or personal computer). You can remove all trusted devices if necessary.

Backup codes

If you lose access to your phone, you will not be able to pass two-factor authentication. If there are no trusted devices or they have been lost, there is a fallback – restoring access to the account with backup codes. But you need to generate them in advance. We recommend storing backup codes on a physical medium – for example, on a sheet of paper or on a hard drive in a safe place.

A code can be used once to log in to the account. Every time you generate a new set of codes, the unused codes become inactive. So keep all the new codes.

Gmail

In the “Two-factor authentication” tab find “Backup codes” and click “Generate”. You can generate a new set of codes, but then all unused codes from the old set become inactive.

Facebook

Instagram

Settings – Security – Two-factor authentication – Additional methods – Backup codes

Account recovery methods

If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it. In that case you receive an SMS or a message to your backup email. Check that the phone number and the email used for recovery are up to date, and also protect your backup email with two-factor authentication.

Gmail

In the “Security” tab of your account settings there is a section “Ways we can verify it’s you”, where you can check and change your phone number and email.

Quick links: backup email phone number

Personal information

Your private information (work or home address, phone number and so on) can be published online. For example, in themed groups, channels or public pages with calls to harm you. This kind of online attack is called “doxxing”.

To keep your data private online, it is worth deciding which of it you are ready to share. Will it be your personal phone number or a “spare” one that you can get rid of if needed. Will you use your real name or various nicknames.

Do not register accounts with a phone number that your bank cards, email and so on are “tied” to..

If you use a computer or device that other people also have access to, you cannot control what they will do with the information on it. This creates the risk of your personal data being leaked and of access to your accounts. Here are a few tips on how to avoid this:

• In such situations, do not use your main accounts, which contain sensitive personal data such as your address and phone number.
• When you finish, log out of all accounts and clear your browsing history.
• Use a private or anonymous window (available, in particular, in the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers), where your actions are not saved in the browser history.
• For maximum anonymity, use the Tor browser.
• Use the DuckDuckGo search engine, which, unlike Google and other popular search engines, does not track your actions and data.

Every time you take a photo or video, geolocation data is added to it. To keep stalkers from finding your favorite places and working out your home address from the geolocation of your photos, turn off geolocation in your phone settings and in every app you use.

Here is how to do it:

• Android: settings – privacy protection – location. Here you can turn off apps’ access to your location data
• iOs: settings – privacy – location services. Here you can turn off apps’ access to your location data by disabling the “Precise Location” option

Important: if your personal information has been published online without your consent, you need to file a report with the cyber police (see the section “How to report threats to the cyber police”).

In addition, some search engines make it possible to ask them to remove private information so that it no longer appears in search results:

• In Google you can request the removal of personal information using this link, where you first have to choose the type of information that needs to be removed.
• Bing makes it possible to remove broken links and outdated cached pages from search (for example, when they still contain information about you that is no longer on the original site) – this can be done here.
• In DuckDuckGo a request to remove personal information can be sent by email: [email protected].

The policies of most social networks also prohibit doxxing. So posts that publish your personal information without your permission can be reported as inappropriate, with a demand that they be removed.

Security and privacy settings

Online platforms have a variety of options for configuring the security of your accounts and access to the information you publish on them.

Facebook has a page that is a convenient starting point for reviewing and setting up these options. Here you can:

• decide who can see your posts and the various pieces of information in your profile;
• decide who can find you through the search function, and by which parameters;
• set up account protection options: password, two-factor authentication, and login alerts;
• set up permissions for external apps to access your account;
• set up which profile parameters are taken into account when you are shown ads.

Google also has a page where you can review the security status of your account and change the settings connected to it. In particular:

• the data used to log in to the account and to recover it;
• the access third-party apps have to the account;
• the security of the passwords saved in the password manager;
• the devices that have been used to log in to the account;
• suspicious activity connected to the account over recent days (for example, attempts to log in from a new device).

At another link Google provides personalized recommendations for configuring your account privacy settings and also lets you configure them yourself. This includes ad personalization, the ability of others to see information from your profile, third-party app access, and the use of phone numbers.

The Instagram app has a “Security Checkup” feature, available in the “Security” section of the settings. This feature includes several steps for checking the security of your account, namely:

• checking login attempts;
• reviewing and updating the information in your profile;
• reviewing the accounts connected to this one;
• checking the contact details that can be used to recover access to the account (phone, email).

Each of these options is also available in the Instagram settings separately, and there is also the option to set up two-factor authentication for logging in.

In Telegram there is a “Privacy and Security” section in the settings, where you can, among other things:

• turn on two-factor authentication;
• set the period after which your messages in chats will be deleted automatically;
• set a passcode, similar to a mobile phone lock but separate, for the Telegram app;
• review and adjust the list of blocked users;
• review the sessions of your Telegram account on different devices and, if needed, terminate some of them;
• set who exactly (nobody, your contacts, or everyone) can see particular pieces of your personal data and carry out certain interactions with you (send messages, calls and so on).

TikTok also has a number of privacy configuration options:

• set your account as public, so that anyone can follow it and see the posts in it, or as private, where you can choose who is allowed to;
• you can also set the visibility of individual posts;
• configure who can comment on posts – for the whole account and for individual videos;
• choose who can send you private messages.

Hide notifications on the lock screen

This feature will be especially useful with two-factor authentication, when you receive messages with a secret code.

Here is how to do it:

• Android: settings – notifications – notifications on the lock screen. You can turn off notifications from all apps or from some of them (messages, messenger and so on).
• iOS: settings – notifications – show previews. You can turn off notifications from all apps or leave the content of notifications visible only when the phone is unlocked. Or turn off/allow notifications only from certain apps (messages, messenger and so on).

Protecting your devices

Be sure to set a password on your computer, and lock its screen when you leave it unattended (the Windows + L key combination).

Use a fingerprint, Face ID, or a password to unlock your phone. Keep in mind that, compared with a password, using a fingerprint or Face ID is a less reliable method of protection. On an iOS device they can be turned off quickly by pressing the side button 5 times.

If you suspect that your device is being used to collect data about you or to track you, on iOS version 16 or higher you can use the “Safety Check” feature. With this feature you can see exactly what information particular apps are sharing and stop them from doing so. The “Emergency Reset” option lets you apply that block to many apps at once.

Another protection feature on iOS devices is “Lockdown Mode”. In this mode a significant part of network functionality is blocked, so it is worth turning on only as a last resort – for example, when there is a chance that your device is under a cyberattack.

In general, on any device it is worth paying attention to the permissions that programs and apps request during installation. If you have doubts about whether some permissions make sense from a security standpoint, it is better to deny them. If necessary, permission settings can be changed at any time:

• Android: settings – apps – [app name] – app permissions. To change a permission setting, tap it and select “Allow” or “Don’t allow”.
• iOS: settings – privacy and security – [information category]. When you select a certain category, such as “Contacts”, “Calendars” and so on, you will see a list of programs that have requested access to it, and you will be able to turn it on or off.

Phishing

A very common type of fraud in which attackers learn your passwords or plant a virus on your device.

The goal of a phishing message or email is to make you click a link. They (phishing emails and messages) are made so that you cannot always tell a genuine email from Facebook, Google, your bank and so on from a fraudulent one. The design will look familiar, and even the sender address may seem official. Likewise, if you open the link, the page you see will also resemble the official one. But if you enter your password for that online service on it, the password will go to the attackers instead.

Sometimes fraudsters also use files attached to an email. Such an email may look as though you have been sent important documents related to work or to some activity, which you need to review. But although on the outside the attached file may look like an ordinary PDF or Word document, inside it there is a virus that will launch if you try to open the file. The virus can then steal your personal data, damage your device, or even use that device to send itself on to the next recipients.

Typical signs that may indicate that a message is phishing:

• The company’s domain name in the email address and/or in a link in the text of the email differs from the company’s real domain. Often this difference can be hard to notice at first glance – for example, g00gle.com or google-com.org.
• The link text differs from the actual link it leads to (you can usually reveal the latter by hovering the cursor over the link text without clicking).
• The email addresses you in generic terms – for example, simply as a “user” rather than by your name.
• The text contains grammatical mistakes and odd turns of phrase (possible in cases where the attackers write it in another language and then translate it).
• The text of the email urges you to take certain actions as quickly as possible in order to avoid unwanted consequences (for example, your account or bank account being blocked). At the same time, the reasons for such consequences are not explained or are described very vaguely, and you cannot connect them with anything you did before.
• You may also be urged to act quickly but, on the contrary, in order to receive some reward.

If you have even the slightest doubt about a message or an email, do not rush to follow the link in it or to open the attached files. Official messages from social networks or from a bank often arrive in the app as well. Finally, you can write or call the support service of the company in question to find out whether they really wrote to you.

Most antivirus programs can be set up to scan incoming mail and detect suspicious emails that may be phishing. Do not neglect this option.

If you are still not sure, consult colleagues or digital security specialists. For example, the Digital Security Lab.

How to report threats to the cyber police

If you are under 18, your parents (legal guardians) can go to the police to protect your rights and your life, together with you or without your involvement.

If you are already 18, you can go to the police yourself to protect your rights and your life.

We recommend always turning to the police for help in cases where your rights are violated. You do not know what information the attackers have about you and you cannot be sure whether their threats are just words or will actually be carried out.

If the threats frighten you, be sure to file a police report

Step-by-step instructions for filing a police report

Step 1. Take screenshots.

You need to take screenshots of all the threats directed at you. The screenshot must contain full information about:

• where the threat was posted (a post, a comment under a post/photo, private messages and so on);
• who posted/sent the threat (avatar, nickname/name and so on).

In addition, you need to go to the attacker’s page/channel and take a screenshot of the profile in such a way that the name and the information about the owner of the page/channel are visible.

Step 2. Save.

• Save the link to the post under which the threats were made;
• Save the link to the attacker’s profile;
• Download and save any threatening photos and videos, if there were any.

Step 3. Prepare the report.

The report must contain detailed information about the event that preceded it:

• The header of the report must state whom you are sending it to and who it is from (your full name, date of birth, address of residence and contact phone number);
• State the date and time and describe in detail exactly what happened;
• State who threatened you and for what reasons, if you know them;
• State where it happened (with the exact name of the social network, website and so on).
• We recommend adding the screenshots you have to the body of the report (before the detailed descriptive part).
• You also need to describe the threats you received (their content and what they were directed at). It is also worth describing the feelings they bring up in you.
• State the date and add your signature.

LINK to a report template

Step 4. Print and send.

To file a report with the police, you do not have to go there in person (for some people this can be an additional stress). You can do it like this:

• Print two copies of the report;
• Sign it;
• Send it through Ukrposhta as a valuable letter with an inventory of the contents. The inventory of contents is a special postal form F-107, which you will receive at any post office. It has to be filled in in two copies, listing all the documents you are sending, stating the number of pages of each document and setting a declared value (it can be from UAH 1.00);
• A Ukrposhta staff member will process your mailing. You will be given back the second copy of the inventory of contents with the post office stamp, a fiscal receipt and a waybill with the tracking number of the mailing, which you can use to track your letter. You attach these documents to your copy of the report as proof that it was sent.

If you want to file the report in person:

• Print two copies of the report.
• Sign both copies.
• Go to the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine at: 19 Boryspilska St., Kyiv.
• They are obliged to make a note on your copy that it has been accepted and to give you a unified-registration notification slip confirming the acceptance and registration of the report (notification) about a criminal offense and other event.

To file a report through the online form:

• Go to the link https://ticket.cyberpolice.gov.ua/
• Follow all the steps according to the instructions and send your report/notification about a criminal offense this way.

Read the information in the guidance note at the link above carefully.

To clarify information about your report, you can use the following contacts:

For inquiries about electronic reports sent through the feedback form:

Reception: +380 (44) 374 3713
Registry office of the Cyber Police Department: +380 (44) 374 3751
Fax: +380 (44) 374 3700
Hotline: 0 800 50 51 70
Email: [email protected]

Important! The Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine establishes (Article 214 of the CPC of Ukraine) that an investigator or prosecutor is obliged to immediately (but no later than 24 hours after a report or notification about a committed criminal offense is filed) enter the relevant information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, start an investigation and, 24 hours after that information is entered, provide the applicant with an extract from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (hereinafter – the URPI).

Pre-trial investigation begins from the moment the information is entered into the URPI, and refusal to accept and register a report or notification about a criminal offense is not permitted.