Expecting assistance from the authorities after discovering intimate photos of her had been posted online without her consent, Jane (name changed) instead faced a warning that researching where the images had been shared could put her at risk of breaking the law. Given a safety leaflet and told to seek assistance from technology companies while expecting little from them, she watched as the case was closed.
Recalling the experience, she said the officer called repeatedly and handled the case in a way she considered dismissive and victim-blaming, with what she described as sexist overtones: '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.'
When Police And Tech Platforms Fail Survivors
Hackers compromised Jane's Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts alongside those of several other women, extracting the 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 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) found that abuse, harassment and exposure to misogynistic content have become an 'accepted risk' of participating in online spaces for many women, despite Ofcom introducing voluntary guidance for technology companies on tackling violence against women and girls one year earlier.
Disheartened by the traumatic reporting process, Jane 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. However, she said there had been 'little to no clarity or transparency' over how long the investigations would take.
Investigating such incidents can be complicated by perpetrators operating globally and concealing the IP addresses that identify their locations. However, Jane argues this is no different from other forms of online crime and should not prevent action, saying: 'We wouldn't expect the same response when it comes to other serious and complex crimes, such as terrorism.'
According to the Refuge and EVAW findings, most women who experienced online violence against women and girls (VAWG) did not report it to online platforms or the police. When they did, many said the response was poor, with complaints misunderstood or not taken seriously, women being told to adapt their own behaviour, and action either not being taken or taking 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, with 38% reporting experiences of misogyny and sexual violence.
One in five women (21%) reported experiencing online harms suggestive of coercive control, stalking, monitoring or harassment, rising to 30% among those aged 16 to 24. Meanwhile, 18% of women reported experiencing some form of image-based sexual abuse, rising to 31% among young women.
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 experienced AI technology providing dating, sex or relationship advice 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 'must go much further in holding tech companies legally responsible for combating the normalisation of misogyny, holding perpetrators to account, and keeping all women and survivors safe'.
The 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: '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.'
'We're also cracking down on the spread of illegal intimate images, forcing tech firms to act to stop such content spreading on their platforms, as well as tightening our codes to reflect new quicker takedown timeframes.'
'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.'
'We are also requiring that platforms remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of it being reported and, in some cases, having senior executives face liability.'
