Tipping point: Online violence impacts, manifestations, and redress in the AI age

This publication is the second instalment in the Tipping Point series and examines how online violence against women in public life is becoming more technologically sophisticated, more invasive, and more damaging in the age of artificial intelligence.

Focusing on women journalists, human rights defenders, activists, writers, and other public communicators, it shows how AI-enabled violence—including deepfakes, manipulated sexual imagery/videos and other forms of image-based abuse—is intensifying existing patterns of harassment and constraining women’s participation in public life.

Based on a global survey conducted in 2025 across 119 countries, the publication documents the growing personal and professional toll of this violence. It finds that many women are experiencing severe mental health impacts, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in connection with their experience of online violence, while large numbers report self-censorship on social media and at work. The report also shows that a significant minority of respondents report online violence to the police or initiate legal action, even as many continue to face weak accountability, victim-blaming, and limited redress in practice.

By focusing on impacts, manifestations, and redress, the publication shows that online violence is not a marginal or virtual issue but a growing threat to women’s safety, voice, participation, and rights. It also highlights the urgent need for stronger legal responses, better institutional support, and greater accountability from technology companies whose platforms and tools enable and amplify this harm.