Police to explore civil action in cases of women secretly filmed and posted online after criminal case collapses
Police will explore civil remedies to tackle undercover vloggers filming women going out at night after a criminal investigation into the incidents collapsed.
Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation into ‘Manchester nightlife’ videos in 2024, following an investigation into “spooky” footage. The videos, viewed millions of times on social media, often show women in vulnerable situations.
The images are often taken without the women’s knowledge and uploaded to social media, where women are mocked.
A man was arrested on suspicion of stalking and harassment in November 2024, in what police said was the first such arrest in the country. In a statement on Wednesday, police said no further action would be taken against the suspect due to “restrictions in existing legislation”.
Independent He understands that there is currently no provision of law that would successfully prosecute covert filming of this nature.
However, Greater Manchester Police said it would explore “further courses of action” alongside Manchester City Council.
Superintendent Nicola Williams said: GMP had taken the reports “really seriously” and “no stone was left unturned” during the investigation.
“Predatory behavior is completely unacceptable and tackling it has been a priority for our night-time economic policing operation,” he added.
The trend of “nightlife” videos, in which women are unwittingly filmed and posted online, has been repeated in cities across the UK, including London, Liverpool and Leeds.
A previous investigation in 2024 had revealed how vloggers were using social media channels to direct viewers to private, subscriber-only areas where more explicit material was uploaded.
Police arrested a person in connection with the investigation and seized his devices, which were later forensically examined.
Supt Williams added: “We are committed to ensuring nights are safe for everyone and would encourage anyone who has been subjected to unwanted behavior to report it to us.
“We will listen, you will believe you, and we will investigate all lines of inquiry.”
