Anonymous perpetrators a major roadblock for victims of online harm seeking justice: Study

Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 31 May 2025
Author: Syarafana Shafeeq

It often leaves the survivors without a clear way to seek resolution, says non-profit group.

Anonymity remains a major roadblock for those seeking justice after facing online harms or harassment, according to a new study released on May 29.

This is one of four main issues that survivors face, said the study by SG Her Empowerment (SHE), a non-profit organisation that advocates for women, including helping victims of online harms.

The others are the long-term effects of such harms, a lack of clarity in seeking recourse, and the normalisation of online harms.

Speaking at a press conference held at the National Design Centre in Middle Road on May 29, SHE chairwoman Stefanie Yuen-Thio said she hopes the study findings will be able to inform some of the decisions made by the Government when it sets up a new agency to help victims of online harms.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in October 2024 that a new government agency will be set up to help victims of online harms. It will act on victims’ behalf to deal with perpetrators and online service providers like social media platforms to enforce the swift removal of content.

SHE has tracked and studied online harms yearly since 2023, with a different focus each year. The 2025 study focuses on the impact on victims and their experiences.

It conducted in-depth interviews with 25 individuals aged between 18 and 45 who experienced harms like online sexual harassment, image-based sexual assault like revenge porn, and cyber bullying.

The 2023 study found that eight in 10 respondents felt that such harms would decrease if victims were able to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

The survivors wanted consequences for the perpetrators but found that anonymity blocked their path to justice.

“When perpetrators hid behind anonymous accounts, survivors were often unable to confirm who was responsible – and left without a clear way to seek resolution,” said SHE in a statement on May 29.

SHE also found that only one in four survivors of online harms who reported their cases to platforms was satisfied with the process or outcomes. Some said they faced difficulties in reporting to platforms, and were often ghosted or did not get a response.

One in three who pursued legal recourse was satisfied with the outcome. Survivors said they were worried their experiences were not significant enough for legal action, while others felt the process would take too long.

A survivor who wanted to be known only as Nisha faced online harassment in the form of anonymous phone calls and fake accounts set up to stalk and harass her between 2022 and 2024.

She told The Straits Times the situation made her feel disturbed, unsafe and mentally exhausted. The stress affected her ability to focus on her studies and work and often set her back by weeks.

As the social media accounts were anonymous, seeking justice was arduous. Nisha, 41, had to compile evidence of all the posts and calls on her own and identify consistent behaviour across the anonymous accounts to try to figure out the perpetrator’s identity.

“I could tell it was the same person because of the way she wrote. But it was all anonymous, all through different accounts. There was no way to prove it,” she said.

She sought advice from pro bono lawyers and learnt that requesting metadata from the social media platform would not be easy as she would need the use of legal documents.

“The process needs to be easier,” she said.

Nisha eventually obtained a Protection from Harassment Act order against the person.

To tackle the issue of online anonymity, SHE has called for policy changes to enable perpetrators to be identified by platforms when a report of harassment is made.

Accounts that have a history of harmful content should be detected even if the user switches to or creates a new account, SHE said. Users who have been flagged repeatedly for harmful actions should also be verified by the platform.

SHE also called for online platforms to be held accountable if they fail to act quickly in removing harmful posts, and for them to be flagged if they continuously fail to act.

SheCares@SCWO, which was launched by SHE in collaboration with the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations in 2023, has helped more than 250 people since. The centre has made more than 175 reports to online platforms.

Ms Yuen-Thio said: “When we are assaulted in the physical world, we feel safe when we are back home, we can lock the doors. Our family is around us and we are now safe. With the online world, you are never safe because you’re never away from your devices, and you are under threat 24/7.

“Even if you don’t look at your phone, every time it pings, your heart jumps. And if you turn it to silent mode, you wonder how many messages are going to come through when you turn it on again.”

Ms Yuen-Thio said the current situation is quite fragmented as online harms is a new issue, and many victims do not know where to go when something happens online.

There is limited recourse and no comprehensive solution, she added.

SheCares@SCWO provides free counselling and pro bono legal clinics. Those who need help can call its helpline on 8001-01-4616 and/or send a message via WhatsApp to 6571-4400.