Online violence against women such as cyberflashing, deepfakes and unwanted messages is pushing many out of public life and their work.
More than a quarter of women have received unwanted “sexts” or intimate images known as “cyberflashing” – and one in four have experienced depression or anxiety as a result, according to a global survey of more than 600 female activists and journalists.
Generative AI apps are used to target women, not only can they “nudify” women and girls without their consent, they can simulate them being sexually assaulted known as AI-assisted “virtual rape”. But the vast majority of cases go unreported and instead women move into less visible roles to avoid harm.
“The chilling effect of online violence is pushing women out of public life,” Lea Hellmueller, associate Professor of Journalism at City St George’s said discussing the global issue.
“Law enforcement is outsourcing the responsibility for protection to the survivors by telling women to remove themselves from social media, to avoid speaking publicly about controversial issues, to move into less visible roles at work, or to take leave from their respective careers.
“This shows that avoidance techniques – self-censorship or quitting – are still significantly more likely to be used by women rather than resistance techniques such as reporting online attacks to the police.”
For the report “Tipping point: Online violence impacts, manifestations and redress in the AI age”, published by UN Women, researchers at City St George’s, University of London surveyed 641 women who work in human rights, activism and journalism from 119 countries between August and November 2025.
They found 27 per cent of respondents received unwanted intimate images, sexual innuendos or nonconsensual sexting. While 12 per cent had their personal images, including those of an intimate nature, shared without their consent. In addition, 6 per cent of respondents said they have been subjected to deepfakes or manipulated images and videos.
These often deliberate and coordinated attacks, had alarming consequences on the recipients mental health, researchers found.
About a quarter of women surveyed (24 per cent) experienced anxiety and depression following online violence and 13 per cent reported being diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Almost one in five (19 per cent) said they were self-censoring at work as a result of online violence and 41 per cent said they self-censored on social media to avoid being abused.
One journalist elaborated on her survey results and said she was “unable to cope” and resigned from her job in December 2023, as a result of online violence.
“I am now sitting at home, focussed solely on restoring my mental wellness. This necessary retreat has caused severe financial problems,” adding that it’s the result of being “forced into silence out of work.”
However, just 25 per cent of respondents had reported incidents of online violence to the police and 15 per cent had taken legal action. Only 10 per cent said that charges were successfully brought against their abusers.
A Government spokesperson said: “Vile, misogynistic online abuse has no place in the UK, which is why we have made the creation of deepfake intimate images without consent a crime.
“We are also banning AI tools which generate deepfake sexual images of people without consent, with developers and suppliers facing up to three years in prison. We are forcing platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48-hours, and holding tech bosses personally liable if they fail to comply with Ofcom’s decisions.
“We have also made cyberflashing a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning platforms have to proactively tackle these images before they reach women. We will keep acting until the online world protects women from abuse and exploitation.”