An Opportunity to Make a Difference

The intersection of science and humanities today is creating endless opportunities for start ups within every field. Many great ideas are the result of iterative processes. With JDoe, however, we are in uncharted territory. It is not everyday that you are given an opportunity to build something without precedent.

JDoe is trying to answer a simple question: How can we help victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment who are not heard or who are not understood?

When you look at the statistics, they can be difficult to internalize. Society skews towards ignoring victims, and failing-that, blaming victims — perceiving them as self-serving or dishonest. This mentality discourages survivors and witnesses from speaking up. The truth is that false reporting is rare, and amongst reported crimes, most are committed by repeat perpetrators and known acquaintances.

The success of movements like the Women’s March illustrate that people have had enough of rape culture. At JDoe, we stand with this change and the changes that are still to come. Our goal is to build a space that is both effective at discovering repeat perpetrators and safe for survivors and witnesses to report crimes. By making the platform anonymous and end-to-end encrypted, we ensure that those who report have control over their privacy. They can choose to contact a lawyer and decide to be notified when a potential mutual victim is found. On JDoe, survivors and witnesses report knowing that they have ownership of their voice.

The success of movements like the Women’s March illustrate that people have had enough of rape culture

Public opinion on end-to-end encryption is emerging and conflicted, but if used correctly, it is undeniable that it has a role in providing new means to securely identify repeat perpetrators. I understand the concerns, but this is an opportunity to make a difference — to help others.

— Zane Liu, Head Designer of JDoe