The internet has never been a safe space for women. Still, a new study from the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Incogni confirms just how widespread and harmful online harassment really is. According to their findings, 1 in 4 American women has experienced some form of online abuse. Latinas face some of the highest rates of harassment, including cyberbullying (13%), hate speech (10%), and sexual harassment (13%).

And yet, nearly 70% of women believe the laws protecting them from online harassment are insufficient. From revenge porn to AI deepfakes, digital abuse is evolving faster than legal protections. Even worse, it’s leaving victims without clear paths to justice.

Latinas Face Disproportionate Rates of Online Harassment

According to the survey, women of color, especially Latinas, are among the most frequent targets of online harassment. The data shows that 31% of Latinas surveyed have experienced some form of online abuse, a rate higher than that of white women (21%).

For Latinas, the most commonly reported types of harassment include:

  • Cyberbullying (13%)
  • Sexual harassment (13%)
  • Hate speech (10%)

Women with mixed racial backgrounds reported even higher rates, with 37% saying they’ve faced online abuse, including cyberbullying (23%), hate speech (21%), and sexual harassment (16%).

“According to the results of our survey, women of color appear to be more at risk of being abused online. Latina women are the second largest group to report being affected by different forms of harassment, including cyberbullying, hate speech, and sexual harassment. Also, more than one in three Latina or Hispanic women said they were negatively affected by the availability of their personal information online. This can lead to unwanted contact or abuse,” Emilia Jasinska-Dias, Communications Manager at Incogni, told FIERCE.

The Most Common Forms of Online Abuse Targeting Women

The NOW and Incogni study analyzed the different ways in which women are harassed online. Among the most frequently reported types of abuse:

  • Cyberbullying (10%)
  • Sexual harassment (9%)
  • Trolling (8%)
  • Hate speech (7%)
  • Cyberstalking (6%)
  • Online impersonation (6%)
  • Physical threats (4%)
  • Revenge porn (3%)
  • Doxxing (2%)
  • AI deepfakes (2%)
  • Swatting (1%)

Although newer forms of abuse like AI deepfakes and swatting appear at lower percentages, they are extremely damaging for those affected. AI-generated deepfakes are particularly concerning, as they are increasingly used to humiliate, discredit, and silence women.

Younger Women Are the Most Vulnerable to Online Harassment

Women in their late teens and early thirties experience online harassment at higher rates than any other age group.

  • Sexual harassment is most frequent among women between 25-34 (17%), 18-24 (16%), and 35-44 (13%).
  • Revenge porn was reported among 6% of women between 25-34, 5% of those 18-24, and 4% of those 35-44.
  • AI deepfakes were particularly concerning for women aged 25-34 (4%).

Younger women are also more likely to experience online abuse tied to their digital presence. This includes harassment in online gaming spaces and doxxing, where personal information is leaked to encourage real-life stalking and attacks.

The Real-Life Impact of Digital Abuse

For many, online harassment doesn’t stay online—it leads to severe emotional, mental, and even financial consequences. The study found that the most devastating forms of online abuse include:

  • Swatting (78%) – Victims reported this form of abuse, which involves making false reports to law enforcement to send SWAT teams to their homes, as having a severe or significant impact on their lives.
  • Revenge porn (70%) – The non-consensual sharing of intimate images remains one of the most destructive forms of digital abuse.
  • AI deepfakes (68%) – The use of AI to create fake but highly realistic images of women continues to grow, often with the intention of humiliating, blackmailing, or intimidating them.

For many women, online harassment has affected their mental health, self-esteem, job security, and even financial well-being. This is particularly true for those in male-dominated industries, such as journalism, gaming, or politics, where targeted harassment campaigns often aim to push women out of these spaces altogether.

“The data from this survey underscores a deeply concerning fact we have known to be true for a long time—women of color face the largest threat of abuse and harassment, on and offline. As technology advances, we must recognize how online abuse tangibly impacts women’s livelihoods, self-esteem, mental health, and financial well-being. This research is further proof our federal and state legislatures need to pass laws to protect women and hold perpetrators of all forms of online abuse accountable,” said Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Why Women Don’t Feel Protected—And What Needs to Change

Despite the severity of online harassment, 69% of women believe current laws are not enough to protect them. This is partly because the U.S. lacks a federal data privacy law, leaving personal information widely accessible and allowing doxxing and AI deepfake abuse to exist in a legal gray area.

The study identified three major gaps in U.S. laws that make women more vulnerable:

  1. No federal data privacy law – Personal details like phone numbers and addresses are widely available online, making it easier for harassers to locate and target victims.
  2. No federal anti-doxxing law – While some states criminalize doxxing, many do not, meaning that publishing someone’s private information to encourage harassment is still legal in many places.
  3. AI deepfake loopholes – Existing privacy laws do not fully cover the unauthorized creation and distribution of AI-generated fake images and videos.

“This research exposes the pervasive nature of online abuse, how it extends to real-life threats, and its impact on women’s livelihood, affecting their self-esteem, mental health, and financial well-being,” said Christian F. Nunes, President of NOW.

The report also found that 84% of women worry their personal data could be exploited by hackers or unauthorized parties, and 1 in 8 women have already suffered from cybercrimes due to their data being exposed online.

The Urgent Need for Stronger Protections Against Online Harassment

The study from NOW and Incogni makes one thing clear: women, particularly women of color, are not safe online. Online harassment is not just “mean comments” or “internet drama”—it is a systemic issue with real-world consequences, and current laws are failing to keep up with the threats women face in digital spaces.

With the rapid evolution of AI-generated abuse, doxxing, and digital stalking, the lack of legislation leaves women vulnerable to intimidation, exploitation, and harm. Until stronger protections are in place, women will continue to bear the brunt of an internet that is designed to be unsafe for them.

Tags:

Share this Story