🔗 Share this article From Dominatrix to Technology Entrepreneur: An Unconventional Fight Against Intimate Image Abuse Madelaine Thomas states her first-hand ordeal of having her private photos leaked provides her a distinct perspective as a tech founder. Professional dominatrix Madelaine Thomas is not at all your average tech founder. After multiple instances of individuals leaking her private explicit images, she was "angry enough to take action" and turned to technology for answers. "Those were beautiful pictures, I'm unapologetic of the photographs, I'm ashamed of the way that they were weaponized by an individual who I don't know," stated Madelaine. Madelaine has received multiple accolades such as the Innovation in Tech Safety award at a major industry conference. Little over a year after founding her company, Image Angel, which employs invisible forensic watermarking to track perpetrators, has garnered significant recognition and was cited as exemplary procedure in an government-commissioned study earlier this year. This represents quite a departure from her previous career in offering consensual sexual encounters, working with clients in the world of kink and bondage. The Pervasive Problem The non-consensual sharing of private images, often referred to as image-based abuse, is a punishable crime with offenders risking two years in prison. It is not at all an issue uniquely experienced by those in the sex industry. A study indicates that around 1.42% of the women in the UK is affected by this form of abuse each year. Madelaine, thirty-seven, explained survivors lived with shame and stigma. "I think a lot of people will comment, 'you put a saucy picture out on the internet, what do you anticipate?'," she noted. "I demand dignity, I expect consideration, and I expect confidence, and I fail to understand why those are negotiable," she added. "The reality that those images could be then shared in my community or with people I love and used to hurt them, that's beyond, that's not a decision I made, that's not an error on my part, that's an individual committing abuse." Madelaine aims her technology will prevent potential intimate image abusers non-consensually. An Unconventional Path Madelaine has been practicing as a professional dominatrix, mainly online, for 10 years and consistently found her work empowering and fulfilling. "It's me as a dominant woman, a woman who is empowered and strong, offering my body as a treat to someone because I wish to," she described. "People think it's unusual but I view it similarly to a nutritionist or an financial advisor providing a service," she remarked. She welcomes being something of an anomaly in the technology sector. "I know that it's bizarre, it's remarkable to think that an individual who was a dominatrix is now a founder of a tech company, but it required someone who has experienced it firsthand to know the flaws and the changes that needed to happen," she stated. She maintained she was not technically inclined and was able to build her company after a lot of sleepless nights, research and "bugging people" who know about tech. Understanding the Tech Solution Image Angel can be used by any digital service where people share images, for instance dating apps, social media and websites. When an image is accessed by a viewer, it is seamlessly tagged with an undetectable digital marker which is specific to that viewer. This invisible watermark is embedded into the copy of the image itself and can withstand screenshots, being altered and being photographed with a secondary device. It means that if you discover your image has been circulated without your consent, providing the service you used has the technology embedded, the sharer's information will be hidden within the image and can be extracted by a data recovery specialist so action can be taken. Currently, one service has implemented her tech and she's in discussions with several more. Proven Technology, New Application "The system already exists in Hollywood, it is employed in sports broadcasting so this is not an untested concept, it's just a novel use and a new system," explained Madelaine. "And we've tested it, we're partnering with a company that has 30 years experience in developing technology so we know that this is solid and what we now need to do is deploy it widely," she added. She said she hoped the technology would also act as a preventive measure to would-be intimate image abusers. Removing Stigma, Shifting Blame An expert from a support service said she had seen directly the panic, distress and self-blame this abuse inflicted on victims. "When that guilt is reinforced by a uninformed acquaintance or service who says 'well, why did you take those images in the first place?' that guilt can really be deepened so it's crucial that the support somebody is provided with is that they have committed no error," she emphasized. She noted it was inspiring that Madelaine was using her experience to create solutions, adding: "It is vital to have this multi-layered approach towards addressing technology-enabled abuse, because no one tool is going to be able to tackle this alone, not just support services, it needs to be this integrated effort." Madelaine Thomas and TV presenter Jess Davies have experienced having their private photos shared non-consensually. TV presenter Jess Davies was just 15 when photographs of her in a state of undress were shared around her local community. It was the first of several incidents Jess endured in her teens and 20s that would later inform her women's rights campaigning. "It required years, an excessive amount of time for someone to tell me, 'it wasn't your fault' and 'that shouldn't have happened'," said Jess. She too is dedicated to removing the stigma of this crime from the survivors to the offenders. "There is no offence to willingly share an photo to someone," stated Jess. "However, it is illegal to distribute that non-consensually and I think that should invariably be where the responsibility is," she affirmed.