Cyberviolence, vulnerability, and the challenges of Artificial Intelligence

Description

Cyberviolence, the use of computer systems and technology more generally to cause, facilitate, or threaten violence against individuals, has many manifestations, ranging from cyber harassment, online stalking, to intimate image abuse. While there is recognition that cyberviolence is a major problem, the age of offenders keeps on dropping, which means that new generations engage into aspects of cyberviolence. AI is often used as a tool to facilitate cyberviolence, for example for the creation of synthetic images or cloning of voices. Women and children are disproportionately victimised. In April 2024, the new EU Directive on combating violence against women was adopted, which includes aspects of cyberviolence. In November 2024, the CoE Lanzarote Committee issued a Declaration on protecting children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse facilitated by emerging technologies.
Questions to be answered

How should cyberviolence be defined and are individuals more vulnerable to acts of cyberviolence under certain conditions?
Which are the positive obligations of states on (cyber)violence and is there a difference between cyberviolence and (offline) violence?
How effective are legal instruments and which are the expectations from new initiatives such as the Directive 2024/1385 and the AI Act?
What should the role of very large online platforms be in detecting and reporting to law enforcement acts of cyberviolence and which are the limitations?

Period	22 May 2025
Event type	Other
Location	BrusselsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International