A new report from Refuge and End Violence Against Women (EVAW) indicates that social platforms and police are failing women who experience online abuse. The report suggests that for many women, abuse, harassment, and exposure to misogynistic content have become an "accepted risk" of participating in online spaces.
A survey of 2,000 women conducted for the report found that nearly half (47%) of those aged 16-24 had experienced violence online. One in four experienced misogyny or sexual violence, while 18% had experienced image-based abuse, including intimate images shared without consent. Additionally, 9% had been doxed, meaning their personal information was shared online.
The report also found that 17% of women who complained to the police did not have their cases investigated. Many women felt their complaints were misunderstood or not taken seriously, or that no action was taken or it was too slow. One in six women aged 16-24 also reported receiving inappropriate, unhealthy, or unsafe dating, sex, and relationships advice from an AI chatbot.
Ofcom stated that tackling harms women and girls disproportionately face online is a top priority. The regulator is investigating three services for suspected failures to prevent individuals from encountering illegal intimate abuse imagery and other illegal content.