The mission of WHOA is to educate the Internet community about online harassment, empower victims of harassment, and formulate voluntary policies that systems administrators can adopt in order to create harassment-free environments. WHOA fully supports the right to free speech both online and off, but asserts that free speech is not protected when it involves threats to the emotional or physical safety of anyone. WHOA further asserts that online harassment is about power in a community: a power structure that has tended to accept or ignore harassment rather than actively seek to cease it.

While WHOA does not wish to single any group out as an enemy, we recognize and celebrate that the tide of the community is changing as people from all walks of life begin to become active participants online. As such, we must begin to assert our power as a group of concerned individuals (no matter what our backgrounds) toward the protection of all people online against harassment targeted against them based on gender, sexual preference, race, ethnicity, age or privilege. WHOA welcomes anyone who demonstrates sensitivity toward the issues of harassment and a willingness to support our cause.