One-quarter of women aged between 16 and 25 have experienced beauty cyberbullying, a new report from global beauty company Coty has discovered. Surveying 11,000 women across 10 international markets, the study also found that 115 million social media images are deleted annually as a result of “beauty cyberbullying,” which refers to when someone is bullied about their appearance through negative or abusive comments on their social media. More shockingly almost half (46%) of those who experience it has gone on to self-harm.

With these numbers in mind, Coty brand Rimmel have partnered with anti-bullying charity The CyberSmile Foundation to take on the growing issue. Titled #IWILLNOTBEDELETED, the new global initiative, announced today with a campaign coming November 12, aims to raise awareness of the problem of beauty cyberbullying, create an online space for young people to share their experiences, and offer support to those suffering.   

"The idea that some people make decisions in anticipation or fear of potential bullying is heartbreaking" – Rimmel Ambassador, Cara Delevingne

One way Rimmel and Cybersmile hope to tackle the issue is through a new AI tool they are calling the Cybersmile Assistant. Launching in English in 2019, with the aim of more languages to come, the assistant will recommend local resources, helplines and organisations that can help those being affected by beauty cyberbullying.

To launch the initiative, Rimmel held an event today in London which was attended by global brand ambassadors Cara Delevingne and Rita Ora. “Cyberbullying related to beauty choices has a real impact on people long after the incident occurs,” says Delevingne. “The idea that some people make decisions in anticipation or fear of potential bullying is heartbreaking. I look forward to working with Rimmel to try and find a way of addressing this growing issue.”