Survey shows online abuse against US women rose to 27% in 2026

In short: Online abuse on social media is rising, and many people say protections still feel weak.

What's going on

A 2026 survey of 10,000 U.S. women by Incogni and the National Organization for Women (NOW) found that 27% experienced online abuse. That is up from 23% the year before, a 17% relative increase.

The survey broke abuse into types. Cyberbullying rose from 10% to 12%. Trolling, which is when people provoke or attack others for attention, increased and became more common than sexual harassment, which stayed about the same at 9.3%. Facebook was named most often, linked to 60% of cases, followed by messaging apps at 33%, then Instagram and TikTok at about 25% each.

Some groups reported much higher levels. The survey found 55% of LGBTQ+ women experienced abuse. Nearly half of Gen Z women did. Women of color reported higher rates than White women, and women in high-visibility jobs also reported more abuse.

The broader picture includes concerns about heavy use of these apps. By March 2026, more than 2,407 lawsuits had been filed against platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and YouTube, alleging the apps were designed to be addictive for young people. Separately, Roblox reported more than 24,500 child exploitation cases in 2024, and it faces lawsuits related to grooming.

What to watch

Many women say the system is not keeping up. Only 14% of women surveyed said current laws protect them adequately. Watch for more state-level rules aimed at children, and for major lawsuit outcomes that could pressure platforms to change how they handle abuse reports and safety tools.

Source: Financial Times