Invisible harm, real consequences: The rising tide of online sexual exploitation and abuse in the US

Technology is fuelling a new wave of sexual exploitation and abuse

From chatbots and livestreams to fake images generated by AI, technology is being weaponised to exploit and abuse women and girls at scale.

Online sexual exploitation and abuse (OSEA) is rising fast in the United States, and survivors are paying the price; emotionally, psychologically, socially, and financially. Survivors may lose jobs or drop out of education. Others are silenced by stigma, retraumatised by the justice system, or told the abuse was their fault.

The impacts of OSEA are unique and far-reaching, and yet the law is not keeping up. There is no consistent legal definition of the different and evolving forms of OSEA in the US. Survivors face poor reporting systems, a lack of clear remedies, and insufficient action by digital platforms and law enforcement alike. As technology evolves, the gaps in protection are growing wider.

Why this is urgent: AI, algorithms, and unsafe platforms are accelerating harm

Perpetrators are increasingly using social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms to groom and target people, most frequently women, girls and people from other marginalised groups. These digital spaces, designed for connection and entertainment, are being co-opted for harm, with little oversight.

Now, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is compounding the problem. Tools like Grok and other generative AI systems are already being used to create non-consensual Intimate Images (NCII). AI-generated deepfakes, cloned voices, and manipulated photos are created and shared in seconds, and survivors have little legal recourse to have them removed.

Meanwhile, algorithms are grooming more young men toward misogynistic, violent extremist content. The result? A growing pipeline of radicalisation and a rise in gender-based violence, both online and offline.

OSEA is not an isolated issue; it’s deeply connected to structural inequalities. Women and girls are targeted because of their gender, their race, their sexuality, and their economic status. And unless tech platforms are held to account, with survivor-centred remedies and laws and policies to address structural inequalities, this abuse will only continue to escalate.

The cost of inaction: lives and futures are at stake

OSEA leaves lasting scars. Survivors report chronic anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the erosion of their sense of safety. Many are forced offline, and may remove themselves from work, education, or community spaces to escape continued harassment.

OSEA also has a chilling effect on freedom of expression, especially for those who are already facing discrimination. The threat of being targeted, harassed, or doxxed silences women and girls from participating fully in public life.

Despite this, most tech companies have failed to build basic safeguards into their platforms. In many cases, tech platforms only act once harm has occurred, and even then, the burden is on the survivor to fight for removal. Equality Now advocates for Safety by Design principles to be incorporated throughout the lifecycle of existing and emerging technologies from conception and design through development, deployment, and ongoing operations. 

We need a world free from harm, and when it does occur, platforms should be proactive and responsive. To achieve this, we need a future where tech design, policy, and law are all aligned to prevent harm before it happens and where survivors are supported.

What Equality Now is doing about it

Equality Now is working to close the global protection gap. Our 2021 report, Ending Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Women and Girls: A Call for International Standards, highlights the need for urgent action to address OSEA through international legal reform and adoption of feminist-informed global digital governance standards.

Equality Now is also a founding member of the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights, a global coalition working to ensure that the rights of women and girls are protected online and offline.