Understanding technology-facilitated violence

Threats, intimidation, sexual harassment or repeated unwanted contact through digital platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, comments or email. It often aims to shame, frighten or push women and girls out of online spaces.

Warning signs: messages from unknown or fake accounts, coordinated pile-ons, threats of sexual or physical violence, sexual comments on your posts.

The sharing or threatened distribution of intimate images or videos without the individual's consent. It is sometimes called "revenge porn", a term that wrongly suggests the survivor did something to deserve it.

Warning signs: threats to "expose" you, or images appearing in groups or on sites you never shared them with.

The creation or distribution of manipulated or AI-generated sexual or harmful content involving a person without their consent, including deepfake images, videos and audio.

Warning signs: content showing you in situations that never happened, or odd blurring and distortion around faces.

Using digital tools, devices or platforms to monitor, track or repeatedly contact someone without their consent, for example through shared location, hidden tracking apps or repeatedly checking their accounts.

Warning signs: someone knowing where you are or what you said in private, or unfamiliar apps and devices.

Gaining unauthorised access to social media, email, financial or other digital accounts to control, exploit or harm someone.

Warning signs: password reset messages you did not request, posts sent from your account, or logins you do not recognise.

Publishing or threatening to publish someone's private or identifying information without their consent, such as their home address, workplace, phone number or family details, often to intimidate them or expose them to harm.

Warning signs: your personal details posted publicly, or strangers contacting you or turning up where you go.

Using manipulation, coercion, deception or threats to obtain sexual images, videos or other sexual material, often by building false trust and then using blackmail.

Warning signs: a new contact moving quickly to private chat, requests for images, or threats once an image has been shared.

Using digital devices, accounts, tracking tools or other technology to monitor, restrict or control an intimate partner's behaviour, communication and freedom.

Warning signs: demands for your passwords, a partner checking your phone, or limits on who you can contact.

Using another person's identity, photographs or accounts to deceive, harass, exploit or cause harm, such as fake profiles that damage their reputation or trick their contacts.

Warning signs: accounts using your name or photos that you did not create, or friends receiving messages "from you" that you never sent.

Using digital accounts, mobile money, banking platforms or other technology to control, exploit or financially harm someone, such as taking over their accounts or demanding access to their earnings.

Warning signs: being pressured to share PINs, money going missing, or a partner controlling every mobile money transaction.