My leaked nudes - "I was made to feel like a prostitute"
A 大象传媒 investigation has found that women's intimate pictures are being shared to harass, shame and blackmail them on a global scale, on the social media app Telegram.
Nigar's from Azerbaijan. Sara's from Cuba. They live thousands of miles apart, but they and many other women, share the same story. After months of investigating Telegram, the 大象传媒 found large groups and channels sharing thousands of secretly filmed, stolen or leaked images of women in at least 20 countries. And there's little evidence the platform is tackling this problem.
Nigar's been forced to leave her homeland. In 2021, a video of her having sex with her husband was sent to her family, and then posted in a Telegram group. The video was shared in a group with 40,000 members.
Nigar isn't alone. Sara - not her real name - found out a nude photo of her had been leaked and shared on Telegram, and her life changed dramatically. Her Instagram and Facebook profiles had been added, and her phone number included. Suddenly she was being contacted by unknown men asking for more pictures. "They made me feel like I was a prostitute because [they believed] I'd shared intimate pictures of myself. It meant I had no value as a woman," she says.
Telegram declined an interview with us, but in a statement it told us it does proactively monitor public spaces and process user reports about content which violates its terms of service. Telegram did not confirm if posting people's intimate images without consent is allowed on the platform, or whether they are removed.
For 5 MinutesOn, the 大象传媒's Global Disinformation reporter, Hannah Gelbart, shares the stories of some of the women affected.
Image Credit: 大象传媒 News
