Image-based abuse covers a range of harmful actions involving nude or sexual images. This includes (but is not limited to) ‘revenge porn’, or the non-consensual creation, taking or sharing of intimate images and digitally altered images, also known as ‘deepfakes’; coercing, blackmailing or threatening to share these images; requesting the creation of these images; cyber-flashing; and upskirting.

Broadly speaking, image-based abuse is overwhelmingly committed against women and girls; however, young men and boys are more likely to be victims of so-called ‘sextortion’ scams, where they are manipulated into sending nude and/or sexualised images of themselves online and are subsequently blackmailed.

Earlier this year, Glamour, in partnership with the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Not Your Porn, Clare McGlynn, Professor of Law at Durham University, and Jodie Campaigns, a women’s rights activist and survivor of deepfake abuse, successfully campaigned for the creation of non-consensual deepfake images to be made a criminal offence. Now, we’re calling for the government to introduce a dedicated, comprehensive Image-Based Abuse law, which covers all forms of image-based abuse. You can sign our petition here.

In January 2024, the long-awaited Online Safety Act included updated legislation surrounding image-based abuse, making it easier to charge and convict people for sharing or threatening to share intimate images without another’s consent. And earlier this year, Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, released new guidance for tech firms to address image-based abuse, as well as other forms of digital violence against women and girls.

We spoke to Sophie Mortimer, Helpline Manager at Revenge Porn Helpline, and Sophie Campbell-Adams, solicitor and legal expert at Britton and Time Solicitors, to find out everything you need to know about the different forms of image-based abuse – and what to do if you experience it.

The different forms of image-based abuse:

‘Revenge porn’: sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent

What is it? The threat by an ex-partner or someone close to you of sharing intimate pictures without your consent – behaviour can be part of an abusive relationship pattern. This is sometimes known as ‘revenge porn’, but many campaigners avoid this term as it implies the victim has done something to provoke the perpetrator.

What’s the law? Image-based sexual abuse – which in this case refers to sharing a private sexual image of someone without their consent – is classed as a sexual offence in England and Wales under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.

Under the Online Safety Act, those found guilty of sharing intimate images online without consent face a maximum of six months in prison. If the prosecution can prove they also intended to cause the victim distress, alarm or humiliation, or to obtain sexual gratification, they face up to two years of jail time.

Perpetrators who are found guilty of sharing the image for sexual gratification could also be placed on the sex offender register.

What can I do if this happens to me?

“This is a criminal offence, and the majority of online platforms have robust policies that disallow this content and should have reporting routes for users to follow,” Sophie Mortimer, manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline, says.

“Alternatively, the Revenge Porn Helpline is always available to support adults in the UK with the removal of this sort of content. We know that it can be deeply distressing for people to try to do this for themselves.”

You have legal options too: “The victim can seek prosecution through the police or private prosecution,” Sophie Campbell-Adams, solicitor and legal expert at Britton and Time Solicitors advises.