The resurfacing of predatory and exploitative Telegram groups

There have been reports of a new V2K group resurfacing on Telegram.

(Caption : The Telegram logo)

According to The Loud Asians on Instagram, a backup group of the notorious V2K Telegram group with around 4000 members, which had allegedly been operating since October, 2020 has been exposed.

The backup group was eventually shut down on 9 June 2021. Each woman they targeted for sexual exploitation was termed a “project”.

The group gained material of women by blackmailing them with threats, and members of the group would discuss their “plans” on what to do with the girls.

Some of these plans involved turning them into “human sex toys” which involved allowing multiple men to rape them, and then record or take nude photos to be shared in other, similar groups.

Shivakaaminii Ponniah, a 22-year-old student who is the president of the Taylor’s Girlup Society and a passionate advocate for womens’ rights and equality, is disgusted and aghast at the audacity that the people in these groups possess.

“The women at hand never consented to their pictures being shared or to be used for someone else's sexual gratification. No one should ever be violated in that way. To be robbed of their bodily autonomy,” she says.

According to Shiva, society is quick to dismiss women’s opinions every time they speak out for themselves as being “difficult” or “dramatic”.

“It is this mentality that - if a girl can post pictures of herself/body, I have the right to do whatever I want with that said picture.”

These groups are also known to create new and multiple links to other Telegram group chats. If the current group were to be reported, the members would already know which link to move to.

When asked if groups like these were adding to the issues of inequality already being faced by women today, Shiva says that this type of behaviour is far from incidental.

“It speaks of the deep-rooted gender based violence and discrimination women, girls and most marginalized individuals face in their day-to-day living. It is the act of reducing women to objects; your personal sex objects.”

If you were to come across any Telegram groups like these, make sure to take screenshots of any information you believe can be used as evidence.

In addition, you can also screenshot phone numbers of those in the group, and compile the links to any group you come across.