Most of us have at least one young woman in our lives that we cherish. For example, a daughter, a nie, a daughter. Well, on this International Women’s Day, I learned something to be concerned about to all of us. 96% of all deepfakes – artificial intelligence-generated images and videos using someone’s portrait – are porn and target women without consent.
One of the well-known incidents included an Australian law student who discovered that her manipulated pornographic images were shared online at the age of 18. However, this is not an isolated incident. A recent study of women in the US shows that AI deepfake is one of the types of online abuse that a considerable number of women face, despite being a relatively new technology.
But this is not the only type of online abuse women face.
According to the same survey, one in four US women say they have experienced online abuse, including cyberbullying, Doxxing, sexual harassment, trolling and AI deepfakes. And young women between the ages of 18 and 34 appear to experience much higher rates of online abuse than older generations.
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Woman working with daughter on laptop (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
Why are young women at higher risk?
It probably has a lot to do with the time young people spend online. Research shows that, not everyone is surprised, younger generations use twice the social media as older generations (80% vs. 42%, respectively). But it also shows that women use it more than men.
Data privacy also plays a role. Recent research shows that younger generations generally have less concern about keeping personal information private compared to older generations. Many young people who grew up in a digital-first world seem desensitized to data collection and are more willing to share personal information online. This increases the risk of cybercrime and abuse.
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So, what can you do to help?
If you’re worried about this, if you should, there are a few steps you can take to protect your female loved ones from online abuse and empower them to safely navigate the digital world.
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1. Talk about online privacy
We live in a world where people always think, share photos and videos. Telling a 22-year-old to stop posting online altogether will probably not let you go far, but limiting who can see the information is a reasonable compromise. Here are some things you can discuss:
Because you set your social media profile to “Private”, photos, videos and personal information are not easily accessible to strangers. Be selective about who you accept as a friend or follower. Continuous verification from likes and comments – especially from strangers – can make young women more vulnerable to online predators and cyberburies. (The “Social Dilemma” documentary provides a detailed perspective on how the platform utilizes these actions.)
2. Delete personal information from the Internet (especially people’s search sites)
In a survey of the experiences of women in the US who were abused online, 65% of respondents said they were negatively affected by having personal information online. why? This is because online bullies, stalkers and scammers use publicly available information to target victims. However, women can reduce the risk of online abuse by deleting personal data from the internet.
Search for your name on Google and identify which sites have personal data. It often lists names, addresses, phone numbers, and even relatives. Automate processes using personal data deletion services to maintain information from these databases over the long term. Although there is no service that promises to delete all data from the internet, deleting a deletion service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continuously deleting information from hundreds of sites over a long period of time. Please see the top picks for data deletion services.
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3. Make sure you have support and resources
Even with the best precautions, online abuse can still occur. Statistically, if you have four relatives or friends of a young woman between the ages of 7 and 21, three of them may have faced some form of online harm over the past year. One of the most powerful things you can do is let them know that there are people they can turn to. Online abuse, especially deep falak porn and revenge porn, are often designed for victims of humiliation, isolation and silence. Knowing that they have support can help them regain control and fight back. If your loved one is dealing with online abuse, here are some important resources:
Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (for Deep Fark and Revenge Porn Victims): Cyber Civil Rights Initiative provides legal and emotional support to Deep Fark and Revenge Porn victims, helping them navigate the complex process of removing fraudulent images and searching for judicial text lines. They manage overwhelming emotions and find calm. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Phone or Text Message 988 connects individuals with trained crisis counselors who can instantly support suicide thoughts, mental health crisis, or other forms of emotional distress, providing a lifeline for those with urgent needs.
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4. Teach digital literacy and critical thinking
Encourage young women in your life to question what they are seeing online and develop healthy skepticism. How can you spot misinformation, recognize potential fraud, and understand the importance of fact-checking?
5. Discuss the importance of strong and unique passwords
Describes the risk of weak or repeated passwords across multiple accounts. Encourage password manager use and two-factor authentication for increased security. For more information about my best expert reviewed password managers of 2025, click here.
6. Promote a healthy balance between online and offline activities
Encourage them to engage in offline hobbies and social activities. This helps to reduce screen time and reduce the impact of potential online negativity.
7. Please provide information about current online trends and threats
Stay up to date with the latest social media platforms, apps and online trends that are popular among young people. This knowledge will help you have more informational conversations with your granddaughter about online safety. One great way to do this is to subscribe to Cart’s The Cyberguy report now.
8. Encourage open communication regarding online experiences
Create a judgment-free environment that feels comfortable discussing online experiences, both positive and negative. This open dialogue will help you identify potential issues early.
9. Take into consideration powerful antivirus software
Protecting your device from malware, viruses and other cyber threats is important as all click-only young women are done online. Powerful antivirus software acts as a digital shield to protect against potential infectious diseases that can undermine personal data and device security.
The best way to protect against malicious links to install malware is to install powerful antivirus software on all devices, as it may access your personal information. This protection can also warn you that it will phish email and ransomware scams and keep your personal information and digital assets safe. Get the best 2025 Antivirus Protection Winners picks for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
Important takeouts in your cart
Online abuse is a serious problem that disproportionately affects young women. By taking positive steps to educate, protect and empower women in our lives, we can create a safer digital environment for women. Let’s work together to promote an online safety culture so that young women can thrive online without fear of harassment or abuse. Don’t forget that a safer internet for women means a safe internet for everyone.
What are your biggest fears and concerns about the digital world related to the safety and happiness of young women in your life? Please let us know at cyberguy.com/contact
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