Nude Photos of Me Were Posted Online After Phone Hack

Jane, a woman from England, is one of over a dozen women whose social media accounts were hacked two years ago. The hackers posted nude photos of her and other women on an image-sharing website, leaving crude and misogynistic comments under the images.

Jane was told by someone she knew that there were nude photos of her on the website. She was in complete shock when she discovered the images had been uploaded without her consent. "Men were getting sexual gratification from pictures of me that I hadn't consented to being shared," she said.

Jane's case is not an isolated incident. Over 12 women in the same area of England have had their social media accounts hacked, resulting in intimate images being posted online without their consent. The BBC understands that all of these women have had photos of themselves uploaded on the same website, with some of them being under 18 when they were taken.

The non-consensual posting of intimate images is a criminal offence, punishable with up to two years in prison. However, some people refer to this type of crime as "revenge porn", even if there is no revenge motive involved. Jane prefers the term "non-consensual image abuse".

Jane is now calling on media regulator Ofcom to investigate using its powers under the Online Safety Act. The law lists 130 "priority offences" that companies should focus on preventing, including the non-consensual posting of intimate images.

Earlier this week, Ofcom was given new powers to crack down on illegal content. Tech companies will now have to ensure staff are prioritising taking down material when alerted to it, and have systems in place that help them do so. Companies that break these rules could be fined up to £18m.

Jane is being represented by law firm Leigh Day's partner Tessa Gregory. She told the BBC that Jane was able to track down the images using the Revenge Porn Helpline, which carries out reverse image searches online and contacts pornographic sites on behalf of victims.

"We're asking Ofcom to take swift and decisive action against the sites," Ms Gregory said. "Ofcom is supposed to make an announcement online when they begin an investigation. We've found no evidence that they are already investigating this issue, but we expect them to be given its prevalence."

Ms Gregory added that she and Jane want Ofcom to take action not just against the sites hosting the images, but also against the search engines directing people to those sites.

Ofcom told the BBC it was aware of Jane's case and was "considering any appropriate next steps". It said it had a broad range of enforcement powers to hold tech firms accountable for carrying out their legal responsibilities under the Online Safety Act, and that it wouldn't hesitate to use them where necessary.

Insiders at Ofcom told the BBC that the regulator will prioritise sites based on factors such as reach and risk they pose to people. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which aims to eliminate child sexual abuse images online, has launched a campaign called Think Before You Share to educate young people about the potential pitfalls of sharing nude pictures.

"It's already spread further than that trusted partnership, and it's being potentially sold online," said Emma Hardy from the IWF. "It's being harvested and collated in places where it's being made available for people with a sexual interest in that age or sex of person."

Jane worries that if action isn't taken quickly, her photos will continue to spread. "I know somebody has those pictures saved on their computer, so I don't have any control over them," she said.

"I think it's a mistake to think people will never send nudes. Certain websites have a duty to protect your privacy. There needs to be a shift in mindset, and not blaming the victim for sending the image in the first place," Jane said.