Digital Rights Foundation 2025 Report Exposes Alarming Rise in Child Cyber Abuse and Justice Barriers
The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) has unveiled its comprehensive 2025 annual report for its survivor-centered Digital Security Helpline, documenting a disturbing escalation in cyber harassment cases involving minors alongside persistent challenges in accessing justice across Pakistan. The findings paint a stark picture of the evolving digital threat landscape and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.
Surge in Complaints and Disturbing Trends Involving Minors
In 2025, the Helpline received 3,012 new complaints, with an additional 776 follow-up cases, maintaining an average of 250 reported incidents per month. Among these, 2,586 instances involved cyber harassment, bringing the total cases handled since the Helpline's inception in 2016 to 23,032.
Most alarmingly, the report highlights a 28% increase in cases involving minors, following a 51% surge in 2024. This rise brought reported cases to 159 in 2025, up from 124 the previous year. Particularly concerning are incidents involving children aged 6 to 9, who, while representing only 0.23% of total complaints, face severe risks including online grooming, sexual abuse, and digital exploitation.
"This signals a deepening child safety crisis driven by increased digital exposure and insufficient safeguards," the report emphasizes, calling for urgent implementation of parental supervision, school-based digital literacy programs, and enhanced child protection mechanisms.
Gender Disparities and Vulnerable Groups
Adults aged 18 to 30 accounted for 51.3% of all complaints, reflecting both high digital engagement and growing awareness of reporting channels. Women continued to bear the brunt of online abuse, reporting 1,709 cases compared to 1,279 reported by men.
Women experienced higher rates across all major categories of technology-facilitated violence, including non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse, blackmail, and sextortion. Men reported higher numbers only in financial fraud cases, with 469 incidents compared to 203 reported by women.
The Helpline also documented significant cases from vulnerable and high-risk groups, including 94 journalists and media practitioners, 52 human rights defenders, and 24 individuals from religious and ethnic minorities. These figures underscore how digital violence intersects with professional, social, and identity-based vulnerabilities.
Geographical Disparities and Emerging AI Threats
Geographically, Punjab accounted for 69.5% of reported cases, reflecting both population density and better access to reporting mechanisms. Significantly lower reporting rates were observed in Balochistan (3%), Azad Kashmir (0.6%), and Gilgit-Baltistan (0.26%), indicating persistent gaps in awareness, infrastructure, and access.
Internationally, the Helpline saw a 20% increase in cases from abroad, receiving 75 complaints from 30 countries across six continents, compared to 25 countries in 2024.
The report identifies generative AI as an emerging threat to online safety. DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad warned: "We are entering a phase where AI is scaling harm at speed. Nearly one in four women globally are already experiencing AI-enabled abuse, while our own data shows a 28% rise in cases involving minors including children as young as six. This should set off alarm bells."
Dad further emphasized: "When emerging technologies intersect with already weak protection systems, it is children and women who pay the price. Without urgent intervention, we are normalizing a future where abuse is automated, amplified, and harder to escape."
Platform Accountability and Justice Access Challenges
Major social media platforms remained central to online abuse incidents. In 2025, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram accounted for 53% of reported cases, down from 57.4% in 2024. WhatsApp alone represented 34% of incidents, highlighting growing risks associated with private, encrypted platforms.
Features like disappearing messages and "view once" media continue to hinder evidence collection and accountability efforts.
Despite 79% of cyber harassment cases being referred to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for legal intervention, access to justice remains severely constrained. Only 51% of reported cases originated from cities with operational cybercrime offices, forcing many survivors to travel long distances.
A total of 892 complaints were received from cities without NCCIA offices, exposing systemic accessibility challenges. While online complaint portals exist, they often require in-person verification, creating significant barriers for survivors in rural and remote areas.
DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad explained the foundation's role: "Even in times of institutional uncertainty, we have remained committed to sustaining the Helpline as a lifeline for individuals facing technology-facilitated harm. Our role has been to provide not only technical guidance and platform support, but also empathy, clarity, and pathways to protection."
Expanded Legal Support and Urgent Recommendations
In response to institutional shortcomings, DRF expanded its legal support in 2025, assisting 143 cases through its legal team, conducting 30 court and NCCIA office visits, and directly supporting 68 survivors through in-person processes.
The report concludes with urgent recommendations across multiple sectors:
- For Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs): Strengthen technical capacity, improve reporting systems for minors, and integrate psychological support services
- For Policymakers: Strengthen data protection laws and prioritize bridging the digital gender divide through nationwide digital literacy initiatives
- For Social Media Platforms: Prioritize reports from trusted partners, enhance reporting tools, and improve AI moderation for local contexts
The Digital Rights Foundation's Digital Security Helpline remains accessible via its toll-free number 0800-39393, through DRF's social media platforms, and via email at helpdesk@digitalrightsfoundation.pk. The Helpline operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
