Madelaine Thomas is not a typical tech founder. For over a decade, she worked as a professional dominatrix, mainly online. Today, she runs a growing technology company designed to stop intimate image abuse.
Her tech journey began after clients repeatedly shared her private images without consent. Instead of staying silent, she decided to act. Angry and determined, she searched for a way to stop abusers from misusing images. That search led to the creation of Image Angel.
Madelaine says she was never ashamed of the images themselves. What hurt was how strangers used them to humiliate her. The loss of control, especially when those images could reach people close to her, was devastating. She makes it clear that sharing images without consent is abuse, not a mistake by the victim.
Image Angel launched just over a year ago and has already gained major recognition. The company has won several awards and was listed as best practice in Baroness Bertin’s independent review on pornography earlier this year.
Although her background may surprise people, Madelaine sees her past as a strength. She says her work in the BDSM industry was empowering and based on choice and consent. To her, it was no different from any other profession where someone offers a service using their skills and expertise.
She also rejects the idea that survivors should feel shame. Intimate image abuse, often called revenge porn, is a criminal offence in the UK. Offenders can face up to two years in prison. Data from the Revenge Porn Helpline suggests that over one percent of women in the UK experience this abuse each year.
How Image Angel Works
Image Angel can be used by any platform where people share images, including dating apps, social media, and websites. When someone views an image, an invisible forensic watermark is automatically added to that specific copy.
This watermark cannot be seen by the user and stays intact even if the image is screenshotted, edited, or photographed on another device. If the image is later shared without consent, specialists can recover the hidden data and identify the person responsible.
Madelaine explains that the technology itself is not new. Similar systems have been used for years in film and sports broadcasting. What makes Image Angel different is how the technology is applied to protect everyday people.
So far, one platform has adopted the system, and discussions with others are ongoing. Madelaine hopes the technology will not only help victims take action but also discourage people from sharing images in the first place.
Shifting the Blame
Experts agree that tools like this are vital. Kate Worthington from the Revenge Porn Helpline says victims often experience panic, shame, and self-blame. When others question why the images existed at all, that harm only grows.
Campaigner and TV presenter Jess Davies knows this firsthand. She was just 15 when private images of her were shared locally. She says it took years before someone told her it was not her fault. Her message is clear. Sending an image with consent is not a crime. Sharing it without consent is.
