Meet Madelaine Thomas: The Anti-Revenge Porn Activist Who Went From Dominatrix to Tech Founder

Madelaine Thomas is not a conventional tech entrepreneur. She did not enter the technology world through Silicon Valley start-ups or corporate innovation hubs. Instead, her path into tech was shaped by personal trauma, professional stigma and a determination to prevent others from experiencing the same abuse she once endured.

Today, Thomas is the founder of Image Angel, a digital safety platform designed to combat revenge porn and image-based sexual abuse. Her journey began after her own private images were stolen and shared without consent, an experience she has described as devastating and life-altering.

An Unlikely Path into Technology

Before founding Image Angel, Thomas worked as a professional dominatrix, primarily online. For more than a decade, she built professional relationships based on consent, trust and strict boundaries. That trust was shattered when intimate images she had shared privately were leaked.

Speaking previously to Glamour, Thomas said she never discovered who leaked the images and that many remain online. The experience left her grappling with intense shame and fear, particularly over how the images could affect her children, her future and her personal safety.

Turning Trauma into Purpose

Rather than retreat, Thomas turned anger into action. She began questioning why victims of image-based abuse were expected to shoulder the burden alone, while technology offered limited protection.

For several years, she focused on campaigning and advocacy. Thomas took part in policy discussions that informed the UK's 2025 Pornography Review, spoke publicly about financial discrimination against sex workers and contributed to debates on improving labour standards in the online adult industry.

Despite those efforts, she felt change was moving too slowly. She wanted a solution that could prevent harm before it occurred. That desire became the foundation for Image Angel.

What Image Angel Does

Image Angel uses forensic watermarking technology to give individuals greater control over their intimate images. When an image is viewed, an invisible watermark unique to the user is embedded into the file.

If that image later appears online without consent, the embedded data can help identify where it came from and support action against the abuser. The aim is deterrence as much as detection, shifting power back to the individual rather than leaving them to respond after damage has been done.

Challenging Stigma and Stereotypes

Thomas's background continues to attract attention, but she rejects the idea that it undermines her credibility. She argues that her past gave her relevant skills, including negotiation, boundary-setting and resilience.

By speaking openly about her experience, Thomas challenges the stigma that often silences victims of image abuse. She believes shame is one of the most powerful tools used against survivors and that visibility can help dismantle it.

Redefining Success on Her Own Terms

Image Angel has already gained recognition. According to the BBC, the platform has won several awards, been cited as best practice in an independent government review and received support from senior safeguarding figures.

Thomas insists her story is not about rejecting her past, but building on it. As image-based abuse continues to rise in the digital age, she believes some of the most effective solutions come from those who have lived through the problem and refused to accept it as inevitable.

For Madelaine Thomas, Image Angel is more than a technology company. It is the protection she once needed and the change she is determined to deliver.