Refuge's Tech Safety Newsletter October 2025
Reflecting on the Digital Experiences of Black Women and Girls During Black History Month
During Black History Month, the Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment team at Refuge is reflecting on the experiences of black women and girls in digital spaces. Technology connects, educates, and empowers, yet across the world, structural barriers and gendered inequalities continue to exclude black women and girls from full participation, and in some cases, expose them to harm. Our team works closely with statutory agencies, tech companies, and VAWG organisations to advocate for safety by design and centring survivors’ voices in policy and product development.
In this edition, Chioma Agwuegbo, Executive Director at TechHerNG, examines how the digital divide disproportionately affects girls and women in Africa and beyond. Her piece, “Born an Afterthought: The Digital Divide for Girls,” offers a compelling look at how exclusion, poor infrastructure, and unequal access to digital literacy deepen existing gender gaps and the coordinated actions we can all take to address these.
Born an Afterthought: The Digital Divide for Girls
By Chioma Agwuegbo - Executive Director at TechHerNG
Welcome to the Afterthought. Not a movie, not a paid experience, but the lived reality of women, girls, and vulnerable groups. Think about it. From birth, girls fight to escape violence; first to be accepted, then to avoid the many abhorrent forms of genital mutilation, and in some instances, to avoid being betrothed before they can sit unaided.
The girl child is often sent to basic school as an afterthought, because why invest resources in educating someone who will just be married off? The barriers to education grow higher with age, with the attendant mockery for the awkwardness puberty brings and the internal confusion over bodily changes that are not to be discussed outside reproductive contexts.
Society continually reminds the girl, and later the woman, that beyond cultural and religious expectations of her role, she is an afterthought.
Fast forward to the digital age, and the expectation that this big, beautiful thing called technology and the internet would bridge the gaps is a dream we are rudely awakened from. Digital literacy is often perceived as “meant for the boys,” leaving us with an additional issue to advocate for. In Europe, 43% of students do not reach the basic level of digital skills, and even though 14-year-old girls outperform boys by 7.9% on average, women constitute only 20% of ICT specialists, according to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS).
In Africa, however, the gender digital divide remains the largest, and the number of non-users of the internet, currently at 25% (ITU, 2021), will increase significantly over this century in line with the exponential population increase.
This is why TechHer’s School Tour exists. Since 2018, our Digital Literacy School Tour has reached thousands of students in peri-urban schools in Nigeria, focusing on girls in secondary schools who are often excluded from discussions about digital participation. For them and university students, we go beyond teaching the basics of computer literacy; we explore digital safety, online consent, and the subtle ways violence can manifest in digital spaces. In classrooms where many students encounter these lessons for the first time, we have seen eyes widen in disbelief as they realise that the unauthorised sharing of private photos, cyberflashing, online stalking, or coercive behaviour are all forms of violence. And that they are AI-generated doesn’t make them any less violent or a joke.
This early intervention is vital. We must not wait until women and girls face digital violence to teach them what safety entails. Awareness of one’s rights online and offline should not be a reactive measure; it ought to be part of the initial lessons children learn about the internet. Hence, digital literacy needs to be regarded as a life skill, rather than an extracurricular activity.
Beyond access, there is the deeper question of infrastructure. Rural and peri-urban communities remain at a disadvantage because they simply cannot connect. The cost of data in Nigeria and many African countries remains prohibitive, and electricity is unstable or non-existent. How do children learn to code without electricity? How do you effectively teach data privacy with communal, shared devices? How do women leapfrog their businesses if they cannot access virtual masterclasses, opportunities or networks?
And so, we exacerbate existing inequalities. The girl who was denied education now experiences exclusion in a different way; her brother learns to develop apps, while if she manages to gain access, she creates content for social media. And when she is online, she must confront harassment, unsolicited messages, and the constant threat of image-based abuse.
At TechHer, our incursion into tech-facilitated gender-based violence, including our development and deployment of KURAM, our response and data aggregator, is grounded in the belief that access alone is not enough. Digital literacy changes things and ensures progressive outcomes. When women and girls understand the internet beyond social media, when they know how to protect their data and report abuse, they begin to use technology for self-expression, entrepreneurship, politics, and advocacy. They begin to build confidence not only as users of technology but as creators of it.
Scaling this work requires coordinated effort, from the government to the private sector, from schools to civil society. Policies that invest in broadband expansion must also include provisions for digital literacy and safety education. Public institutions should partner with organisations like TechHer to create contextual curricula that teach responsible and safe technology use from an early age. And Big Tech must recognise and be held accountable for safety by design, not as an afterthought or in response to harms perpetuated against women, girls and vulnerable groups.
This, because digital inclusion cannot thrive in isolation from social justice. When a woman is targeted and bullied online because she is outspoken, when a girl is discouraged from taking STEM courses, when our justice system denies or crawls to deliver justice for technology-facilitated gender-based violence, it reflects the same patriarchal systems that have long made her an afterthought.
That afterthought must end, not only in words but also in infrastructure, policy, and practice. Digital spaces must enable girls and boys, women and men to learn, create, and thrive free from violence. Digital equity must be pursued alongside gender equality, education reform, and economic empowerment. We will need to reimagine the realities for vulnerable groups and collaborate with them to create a different future. We have an urgent moral and developmental obligation to ensure that the next generation is not defined by digital divides and violence but by digital possibilities.
So, welcome to the Afterthought; we have to refuse to stay here.
Chioma’s reflections remind us that technology can either bridge or widen inequality, depending on how it is designed and governed. Her call for inclusive education, stronger infrastructure, and tailored digital policies aligns closely with Refuge’s belief that digital inclusion must go hand in hand with safety and justice.
While Chioma’s work focuses on access and opportunity, these challenges are deeply connected to the broader experiences of black women navigating online spaces, including harassment and discrimination. To explore this further, tune in to Refuge’s latest upcoming podcast episode featuring Eni Aluko, where we discuss how racism, sexism, and online abuse intersect, and how collective action can help make digital spaces safer and more equitable for everyone.
As we mark Black History Month, we are reminded that equity online is inseparable from equity offline and that empowering and advocating for all women and girls for a more inclusive future should be a priority for us all.
Celebrating the Tech Safety Awards
In September, we marked the second year of Refuge’s Tech Safety Summit, hosted by our team. The two-day event once again brought together survivors, colleagues from tech, financial, VAWG, and academic sectors, alongside policymakers, to explore emerging trends, challenges, and solutions to technology-facilitated abuse and economic abuse.
Building on the success of last year’s summit, we proudly introduced our first Tech Safety Awards, bringing together an inspiring group of individuals, organisations, and innovators who are driving real change in the fight against tech abuse. The awards highlight excellence across research, frontline support, advocacy, journalism, innovation, and accountability.
Honouring Innovation, Advocacy and Impact in the Tech and Economic Space.
In September we proudly hosted our first Tech Safety Awards, bringing together an inspiring group of individuals, organisations, and innovators who are driving real change in the fight against tech abuse. The awards highlight excellence across research, frontline support, advocacy, journalism, innovation, and accountability.
Innovation in Tech Safety Award
Winner: Amnesty International
Amnesty has been a global leader in tackling tech abuse through campaigns, research, and advocacy that hold both governments and big tech accountable.
Nominees:
Cash Perks
Illuminate Tech
Tech Her
Tech Nation
Financial Safety Award
Winner: Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs
Founder of Surviving Economic Abuse, Nicola is the UK's leading expert on economic abuse, shaping research, legislation, and international response to protect survivors.
Nominees:
Cooperative Bank
Chris Fitch - Money Advice Trust
Rosie Lyon - Vulnerability Specialist
HSBC UK
Frontline Response Award
Winner: Revenge Porn Helpline
Providing free confidential support for survivors of intimate image abuse, RPH combines expert crisis response, proactive takedown tools, legal guidance, and emotional support. Their innovation includes StopNCII.org, a groundbreaking tool to remove harmful content online.
Nominees:
Glitch
Chayn
Sign Health
Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cyber Crime and Digital Forensic Units
Impact Journalism Award
Winner: Lucy Morgan, Glamour
Lucy has led powerful campaigns exposing the rise of intimate image abuse and deepfake exploitation, raising national awareness and amplifying survivor's voices.
Nominees:
Matt Burgess - Wired
Shanti Das - The Guardian
Anna Moore - The Guardian
Hannah Shewan Stevans - Freelance
Innovation in Tech Safety Award
Winner: Image Angel
Created by Madelaine Thomas, Image Angel was born out of lived experience. It helps survivors protect themselves by watermarking images, tracking them, and holding perpetrators to account.
Nominees:
Joanne Walker, BT
Illuminate Tech
GigabitIQ
Forensic Analytics
Cinzia Miatto, Tech UK
Policy and Advocacy Champion
Winner: End Violence Against Women Coalition
EVAW has successfully campaigned for improved legislation and regulation around intimate image abuse, ensuring stronger protections for survivors and accountability in the tech sector.
Nominees:
Clare McGlynn
Baroness Owen
Silvia Selmenzin
Rachel Parkin
We were humbled to stand alongside such extraordinary advocates, experts, and innovators who are shaping safer digital futures. Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners - your work is creating lasting impact for survivors.
New Training Opportunities with Refuge
Back by popular demand, we are re-launching our Online Misogyny and the Manosphere webinar on Tuesday 11th November 10:00-11.30am: online.
This session introduces the growing threat of online misogyny and the manosphere, looking at how these communities fuel technology-facilitated abuse, shape harmful attitudes towards women and girls and what this means for survivors of domestic abuse.
There are some free tickets available for charity professionals and £10 tickets for statutory and for profit organisations. Please select the option that works best for your organisation.
Open Access Half Day (3.5 Hour) CPD Sessions
We are also launching our second round of online half day open access trainings. All trainings are CPD accredited and provide a deeper insight in key aspect of technology facilitated abuse and how to support survivors and their children.
Stalking and Harassment:
Tuesday 28th October 9.30am - 1pm - Eventbrite Link
Identifying and Responding to Economic Abuse:
Wednesday 5th November 9.30am - 1pm - Eventbrite Link
When the Unthinkable Happens: The Kido Data Leak and What Parents Need to Know
By Rebecca Taylor – Human Intelligence Researcher at Sophos.
In late September 2025, a cyber attack hit home. A new group calling itself Radiant breached systems belonging to Kido, a nursery chain with locations in the UK, US and India, and claimed to have accessed data on over 8,000 children and their families.
They published profiles of 20 children (names, photos, dates of birth, contact details) and threatened to release more unless a ransom was paid. In a twist, the hackers later claimed to have deleted the stolen child data — though many cybersecurity experts caution that “deletion” from a public leak site doesn’t guarantee the data is gone forever.
It’s an unsettling incident because it cuts close to what many parents assume is sacrosanct: the safety and privacy of their children. The Kido breach is a painful reminder that children leave digital footprints from the moment their names, images, or data are recorded — and that footprint can be exploited.
Why Children’s Digital Footprints Matter
Unlike adults, children and infants cannot control or monitor their online presence, yet the data collected about them can follow them for years.
A nursery photograph or school record leaked today, may still be circulating when that child applies for university or their first job. Attackers can combine small pieces of information, such as names, dates of birth or addresses, to build fuller profiles that enable fraud, scams or targeted manipulation.
These kinds of activity, can then be held against the child’s name for many years to come. Sadly, this leak also saw the posting of 20 child images. Leaked or stolen images can be weaponised in deeply upsetting ways. Attackers can edit or splice photos, use them to create realistic deepfakes, or re-post them in sexualised contexts. These again can stand the test of time and remain a part of a digital footprint.
It is critical, we protect our own images, as much as our ‘traditional’ personally-identifiable information. This attack has clearly had emotional impacts on both victims but the wider community. Parents often feel violated when they learn their child’s private details have been exposed, even if there is no immediate misuse of the information. Trust in schools and nurseries — institutions where children should feel safest — can also be deeply shaken.
Furthermore, there has been upset caused both to the public, but also to those in underground forums – Radiant’s morality has been questioned by fellow underground personas, with child data traditionally being a taboo. Many believe this is why the group chose to delete the data - a rare moment when morality and self- preservation briefly aligned, and when pressure from public institutions became all too much. Regardless of the reason and the removal, that data has still been seen, screen-shotted and distributed widely – The impact is still very much real.
How Parents Can Respond
If your child is affected by a data breach, the first step is to get clarity. You can request written confirmation from the nursery or school about what data was taken, when the breach occurred and whether authorities such as the Information Commissioner’s Office have been notified. It’s important to keep a record of all communications, as these may be needed later if you need to work with law enforcement, or legal teams.
Next, secure your family’s digital accounts. You should change any potentially affected passwords and replace them with strong, unique alternatives. Additionally enable two-factor authentication on accounts where possible, and review recovery options to ensure they have not been altered. Parents should also remain alert for suspicious emails, texts or calls that use their child’s details — a common follow-on tactic after breaches.
It is equally important to take a long-term view. This can include:
• Considering reducing the amount of personal data shared with institutions and apps – You are within your rights to say no to data requests.
• Asking schools or nurseries for details on their data retention policies, but also to delete records that are no longer necessary, such as images from years past.
• Reviewing the privacy settings on devices and apps used by your family. Parental and privacy controls, can be the blocker between threat access success or failure.
• Where available, sign up for identity monitoring tools that can flag if your child’s details are circulating on the dark web. Services like the Google DarkWeb Report, Identity Guard, or Have I Been Pwned, can support these checks.
Getting Further Support
Refuge has over 50 years of experience in supporting victims of tech abuse. Their focus extends beyond women, and into supporting child victims, such as those who have had devices compromised or data stolen. Refuge is equipped to support victims, but also guide parents through challenging conversations and the repercussions of such abuse. Talking openly with children about what they may have seen or experienced, is an important step toward helping them process and cope. The conversation and subsequent action may not come comfortably, but Refuge can support you every step of the way.
When we consider future protecting our children’s digital footprints, again there are many resources available. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) publishes practical guides, while Internet Matters and Parent Zone offer age-appropriate advice and resources to help children navigate the digital world. Get Safe Online is another trusted source of simple, step-by-step security guidance. Together, these organisations provide a roadmap for parents who want to protect their children’s digital footprints without cutting them off from the benefits of technology.
A Final Word
The Kido leak is more than a headline — it is a wake-up call. By targeting the most vulnerable, hackers are playing on parental trust and using emotional pressure to multiply their impact. Whilst we believe the images and details in this instance have been removed, the impact remains. Parents are, however, not powerless. Through awareness, careful monitoring, and open conversations with both children and institutions, we can begin to limit the risks and take control of our children’s digital lives. Children’s digital footprints will only grow as they move through education and into adulthood. By paying attention now, parents can help ensure that those footprints are safe, secure and, above all, theirs to own.