On 14 May 2024, the EU adopted its first directive criminalising cyber violence against women and gender-diverse people. Revenge porn, cyberstalking and online harassment will now be illegal across all 27 Member States. With implementation due by 14 June 2027, the EU promises protection, just not yet.
One in two young women has faced online sexual harassment. The EU has now decided that what happens online isn’t “just the internet”, but that it is a crime.
What the Law Covers
Adopted on 14 May 2024, the directive criminalises the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberstalking, doxxing, persistent online harassment, unsolicited sexual images and gender-based incitement to violence or hatred. Minimum penalties range from one to five years in prison. It is the first EU-wide legal framework explicitly targeting digital gender-based violence. As Belgian Minister Paul Van Tigchelt notes: “This law will guarantee EU-wide that its perpetrators will be strongly sanctioned.”
Why Young Women Needed This
Half of young women aged 18–29 report experiencing gender-based cyber violence, and one in five has faced online sexual harassment. Yet only one in eight reports incidents to police. Abuse spreads across dating apps, Instagram DMs and gaming platforms, often moving across borders faster than authorities can act. Currently, victims report to platforms, which might suspend an account but rarely press charges. The law now makes prosecution mandatory. The economic toll is vast too, costing the EU an estimated €49–€89.3 billion annually.
The Three-Year Gap
Despite its ambition, the directive won’t be fully enforced until 14 June 2027. Some countries already have robust laws; others are starting from zero. Key questions remain: Will the police know how to handle digital evidence? Will courts treat online abuse seriously? Will platforms cooperate with investigations?
The directive offers no guarantees. With the law focusing on “public” spaces, abuse may simply shift into private groups or encrypted DMs. For those experiencing revenge porn or cyberstalking today, a law that takes effect in 2027 offers little comfort.
Laws alone won’t stop harassment. Until authorities catch up, victims are left navigating threats and abuse on their own, day by day.