Expecting help from the authorities after intimate photos of her were posted online without her consent, Jane (name changed) instead said she was warned that researching where the images had been shared could put her at risk of breaking the law.
After she was given a safety leaflet and told to seek help from technology companies – but to expect little from them – the case was closed.
Recalling the experience, Jane said the officer called repeatedly and handled the case in a way she considered dismissive and victim-blaming, with what she described as misogynistic undertones.
'The officer called us at all times of day and approached the case in a way that was insensitive, victim-blaming and entirely inappropriate, with misogynistic undertones,' she said.
Jane later appointed law firm Leigh Day, which successfully pressed Ofcom to open a formal investigation into the platforms and the police to reopen their criminal investigation. She said there had been 'little to no clarity or transparency' over how long the investigations would take.
When Police and Tech Platforms Fail Survivors
Jane said hackers had compromised her Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, along with those of several other women, and extracted images from private messages.
The incident proved deeply distressing. On the platform where the images were posted, commenters left derogatory messages, while an unknown person used identifying personal information, including names, schools and links to social media profiles, to contact Jane directly.
'I felt exposed, harassed, and stalked online by a community of anonymous perverts,' she said. 'The experience left me feeling angry, violated and unsafe.'
Like many women who have experienced similar abuse, Jane has moved more of her life offline and said she no longer feels comfortable in many online spaces.
The Rising Scale of Online Abuse and Misogyny
A recent report by Refuge and End Violence Against Women (EVAW) warns that abuse, harassment and exposure to misogynistic content have become an 'accepted risk' of participating in online spaces for many women.
The report comes almost a year after Ofcom published voluntary guidance for technology companies on tackling violence against women and girls.
Investigating online abuse can be complicated when perpetrators operate across borders and conceal the IP addresses that could help identify their locations. Jane argues that such difficulties should not prevent action.
'We wouldn't expect the same response when it comes to other serious and complex crimes, such as terrorism,' she said.
The Refuge and EVAW report found that most women who experienced online violence against women and girls (VAWG) did not report it to online platforms or the police. Among those who did, many said their complaints were misunderstood or not taken seriously, while some were told to adapt their own behaviour. Others said no action was taken or that it took too long.
A nationally representative survey of 2,000 women aged 16 and over in the UK found that 17% of those who reported experiencing online VAWG to police said their case was not investigated at all.
The research also found that 47% of women aged 16 to 24 had experienced some form of online VAWG, while 38% reported experiencing misogyny or sexual violence online.
One in five women (21%) reported experiencing online harms suggestive of coercive control, stalking, monitoring or harassment, rising to 30% among women aged 16 to 24.
Meanwhile, 18% of women reported experiencing some form of image-based sexual abuse, rising to 31% among women aged 16 to 24.
Four per cent of women reported being doxed online, meaning personal information such as phone numbers and addresses was shared without their consent. Among women aged 16 to 24, the figure rose to 9%.
Among women aged 16 to 24 who had experienced online VAWG, 15% said the abuse had made them feel suicidal. Across all women who had experienced online VAWG, the figure was 7%.
The research also found that 14% of women who experienced online VAWG stopped using the platform altogether as a result.
The study additionally found that 17% of women aged 16 to 24 had received dating, sex or relationship advice from AI technology that they considered inappropriate, unhealthy or unsafe in the context of women's safety and wellbeing.
Calls For Accountability and Stronger Regulation
Refuge Chief Executive Gemma Sherrington said that while Ofcom's guidance was a welcome step, the regulator needed to go further.
'Tackling the harms that women and girls disproportionately face online is a top priority for Ofcom. The law is clear that tech firms must take down illegal content – including harassment, stalking, violent threats and abuse – when they become aware of it,' an Ofcom spokesperson said.
The regulator said it was also taking action to tackle the spread of illegal intimate images and was tightening its codes to introduce quicker takedown timeframes.
Ofcom has also opened an enforcement programme focused on measures designed to prevent users from encountering or sharing non-consensual intimate imagery. New measures requiring relevant services to use hash-matching technology, or equally effective alternatives, to tackle the spread of such material are due to come into force on 30 September.
The Refuge and EVAW report called for enhanced technology-abuse training for police and prosecutors, a new online safety commission or ombuds role, ring-fenced funding for specialist services, and greater powers for Ofcom to take 'swifter and more robust enforcement action'.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'We've also shown we won't hesitate to act where tech firms fall short, with investigations open into three services for suspected failures to prevent individuals from encountering illegal intimate abuse imagery and other illegal content. We're working to conclude these as swiftly as possible, following a fair, robust and transparent process.'
A government spokesperson said: 'This report lays bare the scale of the problem, and it is totally unacceptable. We are taking some of the boldest actions in the world to protect women online.'
'Platforms have a legal duty to remove illegal content, and Ofcom has our full backing to take robust action against those who fail to do so.'
The Government has also introduced legislation requiring platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of being reported. Ofcom said it will consult on the implementation of the 48-hour takedown duty by the end of 2026.
