For survivors of IBSA, this empty announcement is a slap in the face. Many survivors, including myself, have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to get justice for these types of offences. Despite the existing laws, the criminal justice system often fails to take these cases seriously. The process is confusing, support services are lacking, and police often don’t take survivors seriously.
In response to this announcement, many survivors have voiced their frustrations, with some even writing an open letter to the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT). The consensus is clear: this announcement is not an improvement. It does nothing to address the systemic failures in the handling of image-based sexual abuse. It offers no additional protections, no better support services, and no new tools for survivors to pursue justice. This isn’t a meaningful change—it’s lip service.
If the government truly cared about tackling IBSA and making the internet a safer place for women and girls, it would go beyond announcing meaningless administrative changes and address the core issues that allow these abuses to continue.
First, there needs to be significant investment in survivor support. Legal aid, counselling services, and survivor advocacy are all woefully underfunded.
Second, the government should focus on prevention. Educational campaigns about consent, respect, and the consequences of IBSA should be rolled out across schools and online platforms. Media literacy programs are crucial to raising awareness and helping individuals, particularly young people, understand the harmful effects of sharing non-consensual images.
The UK government’s announcement about reclassifying IBSA as a priority offence is awful, as someone who has experienced IBSA and seen the devastating effects it has on women, I’m saddened and angry that it’s being used as lip service. It is a routine administrative procedure being spun as a significant new measure, designed to boost public perception without delivering any real change.
Survivors of image-based sexual abuse deserve far better than this. If the government truly wants to tackle online abuse, it needs to go beyond PR stunts and take meaningful action—by providing more support for survivors, and focusing on preventing these offences in the first place.
Find out more about GLAMOUR’s campaign in partnership with the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Not Your Porn and Professor Clare McGlynn, demanding that the government introduces a dedicated, comprehensive Image-Based Abuse law to protect women and girls.
Revenge Porn Helpline provides advice, guidance and support to victims of intimate image-based abuse over the age of 18 who live in the UK. You can call them on 0345 6000 459.
