Online Harassment Targeting Journalists, Activists, and Human Rights Defenders Reaches New Levels, UN Study Finds
A recent, comprehensive United Nations study has revealed a significant and escalating trend of online harassment directed at journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. The research, based on a survey of over 640 women from 119 countries completed by the end of 2025, highlights the growing threat to these individuals’ safety and well-being. The findings indicate a pervasive problem with unwanted attention and abuse.
Twenty-seven percent of the surveyed women reported experiencing unwanted sexual harassment or the unsolicited sharing of intimate photographs. Furthermore, twelve percent indicated that individuals had disseminated their personal photographs without consent, including depictions of intimate moments. A concerning six percent of the participants detailed experiences with deep fakes or manipulated photographs, demonstrating the increasingly sophisticated nature of this harassment.
The study underscores the role of artificial intelligence in facilitating this abuse, with the creation of realistic, yet fabricated, images becoming a significant concern. The research emphasizes the vulnerability of women working in public-facing roles and calls for increased measures to combat this form of online abuse. The study’s conclusions highlight the urgent need for strategies to address the misuse of intelligence in perpetuating harassment campaigns.
Topics: #women #artificial #intelligence
