When a woman is attacked online, the first reflex is to block the account and delete the messages. It is an understandable reaction. It can also destroy the proof she will need later, at a police station, before a judge or with the platform itself.
RFLD’s Cyber Harassment Legal Toolkit was written for survivors, women human rights defenders, journalists and the organisations that support them. As the 16 Days of Activism approach, we are sharing the part of the toolkit that people ask us about most: how to keep evidence, and what to do with it.
Save first, block after
The toolkit’s first rule is simple. Take your screenshots before you block the account, because blocking can hide the content from you.
- Capture the whole post, with the account name, the profile photo, the replies and the date. Keep the address bar visible so the link appears.
- Copy the link to the profile and to each post. Note the hashtags and the names of any groups involved.
- Export conversations in their original format. On WhatsApp, use “Export chat”. For emails, save the full message source (“Show original” or “View source”).
- Do not edit the files and do not forward the messages. Forwarding changes the technical information that shows where a message came from.
Keep a timeline
A single message may look minor. A dated list of forty messages from the same person over three months shows a pattern, and patterns are what police officers and judges need to see. The toolkit recommends a simple incident log: the date, the platform, what happened and the name of the file that proves it.
Store the evidence on an encrypted drive, keep a copy in a second safe place and limit who can open it. Organisations that hold evidence for survivors should also note who handled each file and when.
Reporting to the police
Bring a written statement, printed screenshots, the list of links and your timeline. Ask for a reference number for your complaint and keep it. You can also ask for protection measures, such as an order forbidding the person to contact you.
Several African States have specific offences that apply. The toolkit cites Section 27 of Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018 on cyber harassment and Section 24 of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act of 2015 on cyberstalking. Nigerian service providers must also keep traffic data and subscriber information for two years, which is why reporting early matters.
Reporting to the platforms
- Use the in-app report button first. It creates a ticket number you can quote later.
- Name the rule that was broken, for example harassment or impersonation.
- On X, save the links before you report and appeal if the answer is “no violation”.
- On Facebook and Instagram, request a copy of your data before content disappears.
- On WhatsApp and Telegram, report and block, but export the chat first.
Protect yourself while you act
Turn on two-step verification with an authentication app rather than SMS, and keep the backup codes on paper. Use a different password for each account. Switch off location tags on photos and keep personal and public profiles separate. These steps do not stop an attacker on their own, but they close the doors most often used to find a woman’s home or family.
The law is on your side
Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol protects every woman’s right to life, integrity and security, and that protection does not stop at the screen. In 2022 the African Commission adopted Resolution 522 on the protection of women against digital violence in Africa, which calls on States to adopt specific laws and give survivors effective remedies. When national remedies fail, the ECOWAS Court and the African Commission remain open.
The toolkit also asks States to train police officers, prosecutors and judges on digital evidence, and to remove vague terms such as “offensive” or “annoyance” from cybercrime laws, because those words are often turned against activists themselves.
Read and share the toolkit
The full Cyber Harassment Legal Toolkit covers the eight forms of cyber harassment, the rights of specific groups and a full action plan. Read the launch article, our analysis of why technology-facilitated violence is a human rights issue and our 16 Days of Activism 2026 call. More publications are on our resources page.
