DIBSA is a catch-all phrase for acts like deepfake pornography, “upskirting,” and “revenge porn” (a term rejected by activists).

“Almost three out of four victims are women, but there are male victims and female perpetrators.”

Aid organizations reported the problem exploded during the pandemic. The UK Revenge Porn Helpline’s caseload hit a record 3,146 cases in 2020.

Landsem stresses how common it is to upload nude images without consent, especially among teenagers, with the Norwegian police noting it becomes a problem around ages 12-13.

Mia Landsem’s Mission

• Personal Motivation: Landsem, an internet security expert in Oslo, became a victim at age 18 when an intimate photo of her taken with an ex-boyfriend when she was 16 was circulated in her city. This experience led her to dedicate her nights to combating the issue.

• The Work: She hunts down and reports abusive images from forums (like “aces of exes”) and private groups. She uses hundreds of bots and sometimes fake identities to alert her to new groups, take screenshots, and gather digital evidence (usernames, IP addresses, URLs, metadata) to provide to the police and tech platforms, speeding up investigations.

• Cost and Scale: She offers her help to victims for free, but notes the overwhelming scale of the problem: she may get a few groups removed daily, but 20 more appear.

• Impact in Norway: Her work, particularly her discovery of nude images of national handball player Nora Mørk in 2017, kickstarted a national debate. This ultimately contributed to Norway making the spread of intimate images a crime punishable with up to one year of imprisonment in 2021.

Culture and Motivation

• “Collector Culture”: The UK Revenge Porn Helpline calls the exchange of these images “collector culture,” likened to a hobby or trading “pokémon cards.”

• Power and Control: Experts describe DIBSA as being about power, control, and a “masculine culture that rewards treating women not very well.” Woman is often immaterial, serving as “currency” for the perpetrator to gain “kudos from other men.”

• Anonymity: Encrypted platforms like Telegram are favored by users who request specific women’s names or geographical areas.

The Devastating Consequences

• The article highlights the tragic case of Maëlle Chiarolini, a 14-year-old Belgian girl whose video was shared at her school. She took her own life in January 2020 because she felt she had nowhere to turn. Her mother, now an activist, stresses the need to “turn the shame around” onto the perpetrator.

Legal and Systemic Hurdles

• Prosecution Failure: Lawyers, scholars, and activists deplore a lack of will to prosecute the crime and to regulate tech companies. Landsem’s own case was initially dropped by the police despite providing evidence on a “golden plate” (her ex was later fined for spreading pornography).

• Legal Difficulties: In the UK, prosecution requires proof of intent to cause distress, making it difficult. Even countries like France, with laws in place (up to two years in prison and a €60,000 fine), struggle with adequate implementation.

• Tech Platform Regulation: An attempt to include relevant legislation (article 24b of the EU’s Digital Services Act) to increase pressure on websites publishing pornographic content was dropped during negotiations. MEP Alexandra Geese criticized this, stating, “You know, it’s just women, who cares? It’s not business. It’s not important.”

• Police Operations: While police welcome platform cooperation, a Kripos superintendent noted that it would be easier if there was a single, standardized way to ask all tech companies for data. He also warned that well-intentioned hacktivists could hinder police operations if they act illegally.