The proliferation of digital technologies has brought new opportunities for connection but also a disturbing rise in technology-facilitated violence against women and girls across Europe. This trend isn’t simply about isolated incidents; it’s a systemic issue fueled by algorithms, lax platform safeguards, and the normalization of misogynistic content.
The Scale of the Problem
Recent reports from Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE), a network of over 180 European women’s NGOs, show that cyberstalking, surveillance, and spyware use are the most common forms of online abuse reported by women. Over 90% of deepfake videos found online are pornographic, overwhelmingly targeting women. The difficulty in proving and sanctioning this type of violence leaves many victims exposed with inadequate protection.
Data from across Europe highlights the severity:
* In Greece (2023), women comprised 55.3% of online-threat victims and 69.6% of cyberstalking cases.
* Over half of the countries surveyed (57%) reported a surge in image-based abuse and non-consensual intimate image sharing.
* Denmark saw a tripling of image-based abuse cases since 2021.
This isn’t merely a numbers game. The rapid spread of misogynistic content through algorithms creates echo chambers where violence against women is normalized, particularly influencing young men.
The Rise of AI-Generated Abuse
The past few years have seen an acceleration of the problem, driven by advances in artificial intelligence. Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has been caught responding to prompts to “undress” images of women, generating deepfakes with minimal safeguards.
An analysis by AI Forensics of over 70,000 images generated by Grok revealed:
* 53% depicted individuals in minimal attire, with 81% being women.
* 2% featured apparent minors.
* 6% depicted public figures, roughly a third of whom were politicians.
While Musk’s team has since implemented restrictions to prevent editing photos of real people in revealing clothing, the incident underscores the vulnerability of AI systems to abuse. The speed at which these tools can generate and spread harmful content is unprecedented.
Targeted Harassment and its Consequences
Online harassment, hate speech, and threats are rampant across 30 European countries. Politicians, journalists, women’s rights defenders, and feminist activists are frequent targets, subjected to deepfake pornography and coordinated campaigns designed to silence or discredit them.
This isn’t just about personal attacks; it’s about undermining democratic processes and suppressing voices advocating for gender equality. The lack of effective regulation and enforcement allows these abuses to flourish.
The core issue is not just the technology itself, but the systemic failures in protecting women from harm in digital spaces. Without stronger legal frameworks, platform accountability, and proactive intervention, cyberviolence will continue to escalate.
The situation demands immediate action. European authorities must prioritize stronger legislation, increased platform accountability, and educational initiatives to combat the normalization of online violence against women. The current trajectory is unsustainable.
