Revenge porn reports have doubled in the UK – here’s how to stop it happening to you

Written by Amy Beecham

“Doxing” and revenge porn – the public exposure of personal data including intimate videos or images for malicious purposes – has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. But new figures show sexual extortion continues to put both men and women at risk.

According to disturbing new figures, the number of sexual extortion instances reported to the UK’s revenge porn helpline have almost doubled within a year.

“Sextortion,” as it’s called, occurs when images or videos are captured or sent during an online sexual exchange, and the victim is extorted and blackmailed for their intimate content. The crime is now the most reported issue with 1,124 cases in 2021 compared to 593 in 2020, with 88% of cases involving a male victim.

Revenge porn was criminalised in England and Wales in 2015, and in Northern Ireland in 2016, and those convicted of the offence face up to two years in prison and a fine. The maximum sentence is longer in Scotland, where anyone convicted of revenge porn could be jailed for up to five years.

Because the problem is not fully consenting adults taking or sending these images, but those that then share them further without consent. 

Despite this, intimate image abuse increased on a wider scale by 40% from 3,146 to 4,406 last year, the helpline also revealed.

Within the year, it received almost 1,000 calls last year from victims who did have their image released, with almost four out of five of them women.

However,  65% of victims who made reports to police said they received a negative response and a third of the cases were dropped by victims for reasons including lack of anonymity and trust police despite the suspect being identified.

Doxing threats can quickly move from the online world to the physical one

In 2021, research from cybersecurity service Kaspersky has revealed that 24% of Brits have shared nude or explicit material with people they have never even met, whilst a third have shared nude or explicit material with people they are dating or chatting to online.

It’s a worrying trend, considering nearly a fifth of people admit to sharing more nude or explicit material of themselves with people they are dating or chatting to since the pandemic started. 

This increase has paved the way to the rising threat of doxing – the public exposure of personal data including intimate videos or images for malicious purposes, commonly known as revenge porn.

However, Kaspersky’s research on dating apps revealed that 1 in 6 admit to having been doxed after sharing personal information on an app. Moreover, 11% said that they have been doxed while dating online, but didn’t realise it was happening.

Clearly, more needs to be done to make people aware of the risk of doxing, and how they can take actions to protect themselves from it. 

‘Oversharing’ on dating apps, social media and across messaging services can increase your risk of being doxed, and threats can quickly move from the online world to the physical one, according to Kaspersky.

“This propensity to easily send explicit material means that images, videos and text conversations can often be saved and shared with anyone at all times, putting the material at risk should devices be hacked, whilst having detrimental consequences to the victim’s social and professional life.”

And it’s not just an invasion of privacy. The public sharing of personal data can have serious implications such as paranoia and depression for victims, and can also lead to stalking and online abuse. 

Gina Martin, the campaigner and author who made upskirting – which typically involves someone taking a picture under another person’s clothing without their knowledge – illegal also commented: “Image-based sexual abuse – or revenge porn, as it’s commonly known as – is a serious threat to women and marginalised genders online.”

Martin describes doxing as “a new way to execute an old problem – the control of women, often through consensual sexualisation of their bodies.”

And to victims, she stresses that “this is never your fault, and you should be able to exist online as you want; just add some preventative and protective steps so you can live your digital life to the fullest.”

So what steps can you take to prevent being doxed?

Kaspersky recommends that people follow this simple advice when sharing personal information:

Think before you post

It’s something we’ve all been told before, but it’s incredibly important to be mindful of who you share your data with and when – whether it’s images, personal details or even something that may seem harmless, such as your location. Always consider how the content you share online might be interpreted and used by others.

Do not share anything private on a public, unsecured internet connection

Understand which messengers are safe and which have end-to-end encryption, such as WhatsApp. Always check the permission settings on the apps you use, to minimise the likelihood of your data being shared or stored by third parties – and beyond – without your knowledge.

What to do if you have been doxed

If you think you may have been doxed, the most important thing to do iskeep evidence, and report it to the police and platforms where you believe your data is available. Charities like the Revenge Porn Helpline also give non-judgemental and confidential advice to those experiencing intimate image abuse, and can help with the reporting and removal of content. 

If you have been affected by threats to share intimate images or films, or have been a victim of revenge porn, you can access advice and support by calling the UK Revenge Porn Helpline on 0845 6000 459.

Images: Getty

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