Online Harassment of Women in Business is Increasing

We spend half of our lives online, and the possibilities and innovation that the internet gives all of us has unfortunately become coupled with trolling and virtual harassment. Women, especially those in positions of power, are more often than not in that line of fire. Hannah Murphy writes of this phenomenon in her Financial Times article, “Women business leaders face surge in online abuse.” Murphy dives into the realities that women entrepreneurs in the public eye are facing, as the spirals of cyberbullying and digital abuse rise.

The current statistics state,

“Data shows that online harassment is increasing across the board for internet users: research from the Anti-Defamation League, a US-based research and advocacy group, found that 22 per cent of Americans experienced severe harassment on social media in 2024, up from 18 per cent in 2023. Women, however, are disproportionately affected. According to a 2024 UN report, misinformation and defamation are the most prevalent forms of online violence against women, with 67 per cent of women and girls experiencing it.”

From the tailspin of mainstream usages of artificial intelligence, to social media platforms, such as X, Meta services, and TikTok, having little to no parameters on what can be circulated (fictitious or otherwise), the upticks in cyberbullying and abuse are anything but surprising. As Murphy describes one such example, “This might include creating deepfake intimate images of a woman to discredit her reputation. A recent Oxford university study found that 96 per cent of deepfake models targeted ‘identifiable women’, including celebrities and social media users with niche followings.”

Communities, like the one wegg® fosters, can be fruitful sounding boards for any woman in power, especially on a global scale, to brainstorm strategies to counteract such vitriol. As Murphy describes it, “Experts recommend businesswomen seek communal support, because the aim of these campaigns can be to isolate.” wegg can be your circle of support.