AI, Anonymity Drive Rise in Online Abuse Against Women

Online abuse against women is surging globally.

What was once hailed as a vehicle for empowerment has, for millions of women and girls, become a source of fear.

Fueled by artificial intelligence, anonymity, and weak accountability, online abuse is rapidly escalating. Yet 1.8 billion women and girls still lack legal protection from online harassment and other forms of technology-facilitated abuse.

UN Women, the agency for women’s rights and gender equality, sounded the alarm this week as the 16 Days of Activism campaign began, calling for urgent action against soaring digital violence.

The online space has become a frontline in the fight for gender equality, with less than 40% of countries having laws addressing cyber harassment or cyberstalking, leaving perpetrators largely unchallenged and victims without justice.

‘What begins online doesn’t stay online’

For women, the internet offers both empowerment and danger: a place for expression and opportunity, but also a growing weapon in the hands of abusers.

Women leaders, journalists, activists, and public figures face relentless gendered disinformation, deepfake attacks, and coordinated harassment campaigns designed to silence, shame, and push them out of public life. One in four women journalists report receiving online death threats.

“What begins online doesn’t stay online. Digital abuse spills into real life, spreading fear, silencing voices, and—in the worst cases—leading to physical violence and femicide,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.

She added that laws must evolve with technology to ensure justice protects women both online and offline, noting it is “unacceptable” that weak legal protections leave millions of women vulnerable while perpetrators act with impunity.

AI fuels new wave of digital abuse

The rise of AI has dramatically amplified digital abuse, making it faster, more targeted, and harder to detect. According to a global survey, 38% of women have experienced online violence, and 85% have witnessed it.

AI-powered deepfake technology is being weaponized on a large scale: up to 95% of online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images, and 99% of those targeted are women.

Digital abuse quickly spills into real life, escalating in severity. Many deepfake tools, developed by male teams, are not designed to work on images of men, highlighting the gendered nature of the technology.

UN Women urges tech companies to hire more women, create safer online spaces, remove harmful content promptly, and respond effectively to abuse reports.

Activist Laura Bates emphasises the real-world impact: “When a domestic abuser uses online tools to track or stalk a victim, when abusive pornographic deepfakes cause a victim to lose her job or access to her children, or when online abuse leads a young woman to drop out of school—these examples show how digital abuse spills into real life.”

Legislation a work in progress

From the UK's Online Safety Act to Mexico’s Ley Olimpia, Australia’s Online Safety Act, and the EU’s Digital Safety Act, change is underway.

As of 2025, 117 countries report efforts to tackle digital violence, but progress remains fragmented and regulation often lags behind technological advances. AI and policy experts call for stronger global cooperation and more effective laws.

Prevention beyond punishment

UN Women stresses that prevention must go beyond punishment. Companies should hire more women in tech, build safer platforms, remove harmful content swiftly, and embed accountability into AI design.

Investments in digital literacy, particularly for young people, and culture-change programs that challenge toxic online communities—including the growing “manosphere”—are essential to curb the rise of digital violence.