TFGBV in 2026: A New Year, New Digital Threats to Women and Girls

As the world enters 2026, technology continues to reshape how people communicate, work, and participate in public life. While digital tools have opened new opportunities for empowerment, they have also intensified Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), a growing global issue that disproportionately affects women and girls. In the new year, TFGBV is evolving in scale, speed, and sophistication, presenting emerging challenges that demand urgent attention from governments, platforms, and communities.

One of the most pressing developments in 2026 is the expanded misuse of artificial intelligence. Generative AI tools are increasingly used to create deepfake images, videos, and voice recordings that sexualize, humiliate, or impersonate women without their consent. Women in public life such as journalists, politicians, activists, and content creators remain prime targets, but private individuals and even school-aged girls are now facing similar attacks. These AI-driven abuses spread rapidly, are difficult to trace, and often cause long-term reputational, psychological, and economic harm.

Another emerging issue is the normalization of online harassment across new digital spaces. As virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and immersive online platforms grow in popularity, harassment is no longer limited to text or images. Women and girls are increasingly reporting virtual stalking, unwanted sexualized interactions, and simulated assaults in digital environments. These experiences blur the boundary between online and offline harm, reinforcing fear, self-censorship, and exclusion from digital participation.

In 2026, data exploitation and surveillance have also become more gendered threats. Location tracking, spyware, and doxxing are frequently used in intimate partner violence, allowing abusers to monitor, control, and intimidate women through their devices. For women human rights defenders and journalists, digital surveillance is increasingly used to silence dissent, exposing them to coordinated harassment or physical danger. Marginalized women such as migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and women with disabilities face compounded risks due to intersecting forms of discrimination.

The psychological impact of TFGBV continues to deepen. Many women and girls experience anxiety, depression, withdrawal from online spaces, and loss of professional opportunities. In 2026, younger users are particularly vulnerable, as children and adolescents encounter cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and online grooming at earlier ages. Without adequate digital literacy education and support systems, these harms can follow them into adulthood.

Despite these challenges, 2026 also marks a turning point for resistance and reform. More countries are beginning to recognize TFGBV as a serious violation of human rights rather than a minor online issue. New laws addressing non-consensual intimate images, cyberstalking, and AI-generated abuse are emerging, though enforcement remains uneven. Technology companies are under increasing pressure to improve content moderation, invest in survivor-centered reporting mechanisms, and design platforms with safety and gender equality in mind.

Civil society and grassroots movements play a critical role in shaping the response. Women-led organizations are advocating for survivor-informed policies, ethical AI development, and stronger accountability from digital platforms. Digital literacy initiatives in 2026 are also expanding, equipping women and girls with skills to protect their privacy, recognize online threats, and safely assert their voices online.

As the new year unfolds, addressing TFGBV requires more than technical solutions. It demands collective action from policymakers, educators, tech developers, and communities to challenge harmful gender norms, close legal gaps, and ensure that digital spaces are safe and inclusive. In 2026, the question is no longer whether TFGBV is a real threat, but whether the global community will act decisively to protect the rights, dignity, and freedom of women and girls in an increasingly digital world.