Across social media platforms, women and gender minorities are increasingly utilizing tools of anonymity and self-censorship to protect their safety whilst participating in divisive public discourse. If you’re a Pakistani woman active in online community groups on Facebook, chances are you’ve recently started seeing a whole lot of posts by anonymous members. Move this conversation to Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok – particularly when it comes to public profiles – and you’ll hear comments like “don’t post about that topic, it’s not safe” or “I don’t share my face online.”