The sight of women sunbathing topless on European beaches is becoming increasingly rare, and experts point to a troubling cause: the fear of being secretly filmed and harassed. A 2025 YouGov survey revealed that while most Western Europeans support the practice, the number of Spanish women who often sunbathe topless has dropped to 37%, down from 49% in a similar 2017 survey—a 12% decline.
Growing Concerns Over Privacy and Safety
This shift is not just a coincidence. Spanish media have taken notice, with Canarian Weekly publishing an article last summer titled 'Why is topless sunbathing disappearing from Canary Islands beaches?' and El País addressing the topic on August 2 with 'The summer when topless people were once again the talk of the town.' Both pieces highlight a growing sentiment: going topless no longer feels safe.
Women interviewed by Canarian Weekly said they feel they are constantly 'being watched' and worry about sexual harassment or being filmed without consent. Professor Clare McGlynn, a leading expert on violence against women and girls, told Metro that the decline is unsurprising 'in the age of smart glasses and the epidemic of non-consensual filming and sharing of intimate images.'
The Role of Technology and Legal Gaps
'Every day, women are now having to be wary of strangers, mostly men, filming them in public and uploading imagery to websites,' McGlynn explained. 'This almost certainly would include them being on the beach, especially if topless. This is the reality of technological developments for women. It's not some exciting New World of possibilities, but yet more ways in which we can be harassed and abused.'
In the UK, filming someone in a public space without consent is not illegal. While campaigners like Gina Martin have successfully pushed for reforms making upskirting illegal, significant gray areas remain. A BBC investigation in February found over 65 online channels dedicated to 'nightlife content' that focused on filming women in dresses or skirts, often without their knowledge, sometimes exposing intimate body parts.
Women Forced to Give Up Freedoms
Amy Watson, founder of HASSL, an organisation tackling harassment and violence against women, is not surprised by the trend. 'Women now have to exist in public with the knowledge that someone can take out a phone, photograph or film them without their consent, and potentially put that content in front of millions of strangers before they even know it exists,' she told Metro.
'Going topless should be a completely ordinary choice about your own body, but the possibility of being secretly filmed, sexualised or turned into someone else's online 'content' takes away some of that freedom. And once an image exists, women have very little control over where it ends up, who sees it or what is done with it.'
This is not merely about tan lines; it reflects a broader issue where women are disproportionately forced to consider risks and safety in public spaces, unlike men. 'The answer can't be another warning for women to cover up or change their behaviour,' Watson added. 'We need to be asking why women are having to give up freedoms because other people cannot be trusted to respect their boundaries. Technology has made covert filming too easy – our laws, platforms and social attitudes around consent now need to catch up.'
