🔗 Share this article From Professional Dominatrix to Tech Founder: A Unique Battle To Combat Intimate Image Abuse Madelaine Thomas says her personal experience of having her private photos leaked gives her a distinct perspective as a tech founder. Professional dominatrix Madelaine Thomas represents not at all your typical startup entrepreneur. After repeated occurrences of individuals leaking her intimate photographs, she was "angry enough to take action" and turned to tech solutions for answers. "These were striking images, I'm not ashamed of the pictures, I'm ashamed of the manner that they were used against me by an individual who I don't know," explained Madelaine. Madelaine has won several awards such as the Innovation in Tech Safety award at a major industry conference. Just over a year after founding her venture, Image Angel, which uses covert digital tracking to identify perpetrators, has won several awards and was recommended as exemplary procedure in an independent pornography review earlier this year. This marks quite a departure from her background in offering BDSM services, dominating clients in the world of BDSM. A Widespread Issue The non-consensual sharing of private images, often referred to as image-based abuse, is a criminal offence with perpetrators risking two years in prison. It is not at all an issue uniquely experienced by those in the adult entertainment sector. A report suggests that approximately 1.42% of the women in the UK is affected by this form of abuse on an annual basis. Madelaine, 37, said victims endured feelings of humiliation. "I think a lot of people will say, 'you shared a saucy picture out on the internet, what do you anticipate?'," she noted. "I expect respect, I expect consideration, and I expect confidence, and I fail to understand why those are negotiable," she continued. "The reality that those images could be then shared in my community or with my loved ones and used to hurt them, that's beyond, that's not a decision I made, that's not my mistake, that's someone being an abuser." Madelaine hopes her technology will prevent would-be individuals from sharing photos non-consensually. An Unconventional Path Madelaine has been practicing as a dominatrix, primarily 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, giving my body as a gift to someone of my own volition," she said. "Some believe it's strange but I don't see it any differently to a nutritionist or an financial advisor providing a service," she added. She embraces being something of an anomaly in the technology sector. "I know that it's unconventional, it's remarkable to think that someone who was a dominatrix is now a founder of a tech company, but it took someone who has been through it to understand the flaws and the modifications that were necessary," she stated. She maintained she was not in the least bit techy and was managed to build her company after a lot of late nights, research and "consulting experts" who understand tech. How Does the Technology Work? Image Angel can be implemented on any digital service where people exchange photos, for instance social connection apps, social networks and online sites. When an image is accessed by a viewer, it is automatically embedded with an undetectable digital marker which is unique to them. This covert marker is embedded into the copy of the image itself and can withstand screenshots, being altered and being re-captured with a different camera. It ensures that if you discover your image has been shared non-consensually, as long as the platform you used has the system integrated, the sharer's information will be encoded in the image and can be retrieved by a data recovery specialist so action can be taken. Currently, one service has adopted her tech and she's in discussions with several more. Proven Technology, New Application "This technology is already in use in Hollywood, it already exists in live television so this is not brand new technology, it's just a new application and a new system," explained Madelaine. "And we've tested it, we're partnering with a firm that has 30 years experience in developing technology so we are confident that this is solid and what we now need to do is deploy it widely," she continued. She expressed hope she hoped the technology would also act as a deterrent to would-be intimate image abusers. Removing Stigma, Shifting Blame An advocate from a leading helpline said she had seen directly the panic, distress and self-blame intimate image abuse caused for victims. "If that self-blame is compounded by a misinformed friend or professional who says 'well, why did you take those images in the first place?' that guilt can really be reinforced 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 leveraging her ordeal to bring about change, saying: "It is really important to have this comprehensive strategy 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 multi-layered response." Madelaine Thomas and TV presenter Jess Davies have been victims of having their private photos shared without their consent. TV presenter Jess Davies was only fifteen when photographs of her in her underwear were circulated within her local community. It was the beginning of multiple violations Jess experienced in her teens and 20s that would later inform her advocacy work. "It required years, an excessive amount of time for someone to tell me, 'it wasn't your fault' and 'that was wrong'," recalled Jess. She too is passionate about eliminating the shame of intimate image abuse from the survivors to the perpetrators. "It isn't a crime to consensually send an photo to someone," stated Jess. "However, it is illegal to distribute that without consent and I think that should always be where the responsibility is," she concluded.