'Satire' pages drive gendered harassment on Facebook, finds Dismislab

For many women in public life, satire on social media has shifted from humour to a sustained form of sexualised harassment, according to an analysis by fact-checking platform Dismislab.

Photocards styled like news reports are being widely circulated on Facebook, using familiar logos and formats to mimic mainstream media. 

These posts often feature female politicians, actors, academics and activists, accompanied by text implying moral failure or sexual misconduct.

Within minutes, such posts attract thousands of reactions and shares, with comment sections filled with mockery and speculation.

Many users perceive them as credible, though they originate from self-described "satire" pages.

According to Dismislab, these pages deliberately imitate the names, logos and presentation styles of established media outlets.

While they claim to produce parody content, a significant portion of their posts target women's bodies, sexuality and personal lives.

A nearly five-month analysis by Dismislab of five such Facebook pages found that more than one in four posts about women contained sexually aggressive or harassing language.

Identical photocards were often shared across multiple pages on the same day, amplifying their reach.

Despite violating Facebook's policies on harassment, enforcement remains limited, with pages frequently avoiding moderation by labelling content as satire.

Experts cited in the analysis said content that causes harm or reinforces vulnerability cannot be considered satire.

The issue is compounded by low media literacy, particularly in contexts where users struggle to distinguish between parody and legitimate journalism.

As a result, misleading or defamatory content is often taken at face value and widely shared.

Bangladeshi actress Shabnam Faria and Dhaka University teacher Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan Monami were among those frequently targeted during the period reviewed.

Both described the posts as deliberate character assassination rather than humour.

Faria said the content was intended to publicly shame and discredit her, adding that fear of prolonged online harassment has discouraged her from pursuing legal action.

Monami said such content undermines women's dignity, arguing that freedom of expression should not come at the cost of personal respect.

Dismislab's findings suggest that what is presented as satire on these platforms often functions as coordinated gender-based abuse, using humour as a cover for harassment and disinformation.

Patterns of gendered abuse

The analysis found that the most common form of harassment involved slurs tied to gender and sexual identity.

Women were frequently portrayed as morally corrupt or sexually promiscuous, often through degrading or suggestive language.

Author Taslima Nasrin was among those targeted with explicit gender-based slurs.

Beyond sexualised language, many posts used general insults and demeaning expressions to undermine women's credibility.

These included comparisons to animals, derogatory labels and humiliating descriptions aimed at discrediting both personal character and professional standing.

In one instance, a photocard circulated by a satire page implied that actress Pori Moni had earned money through sexual acts rather than her professional work.

Another pattern involved targeting women based on their appearance or clothing. Posts framed ordinary attire as a reflection of moral character, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.

On 7 October, actress Shabnam Faria shared a photograph on her personal Facebook account.

Within hours, several satire pages repurposed the image, adding sexually suggestive captions and fabricated contexts. Similar patterns were observed in posts targeting other actresses.

Women's political views were also used as a basis for harassment. Posts targeting political figures, including Sheikh Hasina, often combined ideological criticism with sexualised insinuations.

The report also identified coordinated amplification, where multiple pages shared similar sexually suggestive photocards on the same issue within a short period.

During the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence" campaign, several female celebrities shared photos supporting the initiative.

These images were later altered by satire pages to include sexually suggestive phrases, turning an awareness campaign into material for ridicule.

Policy gaps and enforcement challenges

According to Dismislab, most of the analysed posts violate Meta's hate speech policies. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, as pages often avoid moderation by describing their content as satire or parody.

The platform's approach has also evolved. Earlier policies placed stricter limits on such content, including prohibitions on degrading comparisons based on gender or sexual identity.

However, a revised policy introduced in January 2025 allows certain content if it is framed as criticism or satire.

Researchers and civil society groups have raised concerns that these changes have widened the grey area between satire and harassment, making enforcement more difficult.

Studies cited in the report indicate that gender-based hateful content increased significantly following the policy shift.

Although Meta's impersonation rules require satire pages to clearly identify themselves, many continue to mimic the visual identity of established media outlets, contributing to confusion among users.

Addressing the boundary between satire and harassment, Simu Naser, founder and editor of earki, one of Bangladesh's most prominent satire platforms, said that freedom of expression does not extend to targeted degradation

"Raising questions or highlighting issues is part of free speech, but deliberately using derogatory language to corner or silence someone is harassment," he said.

He added that once content causes harm or makes individuals vulnerable, it ceases to function as humour.

Media professionals also highlighted the risks of misinformation. Media literacy is a critical factor as well, said Rajib Ahmed, deputy head of reporting at Prothom Alo.

Rajib said many users struggle to distinguish satire from real news, which can lead to confusion and reputational damage.

Dismislab noted that gaps in moderating Bengali-language content further complicate enforcement, allowing abusive material to spread with limited oversight.