Navigating Cyberintimacy: Vulnerabilities, Abuse, and the Need for Legal Reform in Online Dating

Kishwar, Sanya Darakhshan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6716-0728, Manderna, Mohit Kumar ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8711-2158, Vatsa, Kritika ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5037-991X, Agarwal, Muskaan and -, Shrawani (2026) Navigating Cyberintimacy: Vulnerabilities, Abuse, and the Need for Legal Reform in Online Dating. In: Oxford Intersections: Gender Justice. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 9780198960256 (In Press)

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Abstract

Online dating platforms have transformed the way individuals initiate and sustain intimate relationships, offering unprecedented opportunities for connection while simultaneously introducing new vulnerabilities. These digital spaces have given rise to cyberintimacy—a form of intimacy mediated through technology that blurs the boundaries between physical and virtual interactions. While cyberintimacy fosters convenience and accessibility, it also creates a fertile ground for nonphysical forms of abuse, including coercion, manipulation, privacy breaches, and consent violations. Existing legal frameworks, designed primarily for offline contexts, remain inadequate in addressing these emerging risks. This article critically examines how online dating environments facilitate such abuse and interrogates the socio-technical dynamics underpinning cyberintimacy. Employing a twofold analytical lens—gendered and vulnerability-based—the discussion highlights how structural inequalities, digital literacy gaps, and overlapping identities exacerbate victimization. By situating cyberintimacy within broader debates on technology-mediated violence, the article underscores the urgent need for nuanced legal reforms and preventive strategies. It argues for a shift from generic domestic violence laws toward targeted frameworks that reflect the complexities of digital intimacy, thereby ensuring safer online romantic spaces for diverse user populations.

Item Type: Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords: Cyberintimacy | Online dating | Digital abuse | Dating violence | Cyberdating abuse
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Law and Legal Studies
Depositing User: Mr. Syed Anas Ali
Date Deposited: 29 Jun 2026 08:46
Last Modified: 29 Jun 2026 08:46
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198960256.003.0056
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/11846

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