"The images had my face, but they altered the body, replacing it with someone else's in revealing clothing. In our community, this is seen as deeply shameful.

"Six to seven months ago, women went live on Facebook accusing me of practicing black magic. It pushed me to the brink—I wanted to end my life.

"I have never met this woman, but she has a history of harassing others. That’s the reality of TikTok—people don’t need to know you to be envious.

"I reported it to the police, but they said they couldn’t help and advised me to report it to TikTok. However, nothing changed. My husband and family turned their backs on me; even my siblings refused to speak to me.

"They said, ‘She’s a disgrace, bringing shame,’ despite me being a good person. I no longer live with my husband."

The Online Safety Act 2023 offers protection to both children and adults on digital platforms and holds social media companies accountable for user safety. The act also amends the Sexual Offences Act 2003, making it illegal to share or threaten to share intimate images, including deepfakes, without consent.

Currently, a new bill is under debate in the House of Lords—the Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill. Introduced by Conservative Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge, this bill seeks to criminalize the creation and solicitation of intimate images of individuals without their consent.

This includes deepfake images, where technology is used to manipulate someone's face into fabricated scenarios. Baroness Shaista Gohir, CEO of Muslim Women's Network UK, stated: "New technologies enable offenders to create sexually explicit deepfake images of women.

"These images are then used to instill fear, humiliate, and make victims feel unsafe, whether by sharing them or threatening to do so. This is a tool for maintaining power and control.

"In some communities, such images are deliberately used to shame women and heighten their risk of honor-based abuse."

Baroness Gohir also pointed out that many Muslim women do not report online harassment because they are unaware of their legal rights in the UK.

Recently, BirminghamLive reported several TikTok accounts that targeted Muslim women, leading the platform to issue permanent bans. However, an anonymous contact from London claimed that some users threatened to return under new accounts, making the issue persistent.

A TikTok spokesperson stated that their Community Guidelines prohibit harassment, degradation, or bullying. Towards the end of 2024, they claimed that 89% of videos removed for violating the Harassment & Bullying Community Guidelines were taken down proactively.

The spokesperson added that thousands of safety professionals work to maintain a secure environment on the app. They also emphasized that TikTok does not allow content featuring private individuals without their consent.

In response to inquiries from BirminghamLive, West Midlands Police directed attention to their Online Safety resources, which address concerns such as deepfakes, revenge porn, and the spread of false information.