New app launches to tackle LGBTQ+ hate crime following rise in reported incidents across the UK

Vodafone Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, today unveiled Zoteria, a new app to help the LGBTQ+ community and the wider public to come together and tackle the issue of LGBTQ+ hate crime*.

Zoteria enables people to report hate crime incidents, either against themselves or on behalf of someone else, and access support from LGBTQ+ charities. It also aims to improve the reporting of trends relating to LGBTQ+ hate crime, and so build a more accurate picture of the issue across the UK. Zoteria is free to download via app stores now.

The launch of Zoteria follows record rises in LGBTQ+ hate crime reports in England and Wales, with recent government statistics showing a 41% increase in homophobic and biphobic hate incidents - and a 56% increase in transphobic hate incidents - compared to last year**.

The app, developed by Vodafone Foundation in partnership with UK LGBTQ+ anti-abuse and rights charities Galop and Stonewall, comes as new research*** from Vodafone found that over two-thirds (68%) of LGBTQ+ respondents had been victims of hate crime in the last year, and more than a quarter (27%) had been physically injured by an attack.

But three quarters (75%) of respondents say they haven’t reported the incident because they felt it was too minor (53%) or didn’t trust the authorities to take it seriously or do anything about it (42%). An overwhelming 87% of LGBTQ+ said they would welcome a simple method, like an app, to access help and advice and report such incidents.

Vodafone employee Marta Lima, 30, from London, who won a global competition to develop the app, said: “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m very aware of how frequent hate crime incidents are. It happened to me, and every person I know from the community has a story. Often people don’t know their rights, don't think they will be taken seriously, nor that reporting an incident matters. But data is key to driving change. We wanted to create an app that encourages the community and its allies to step up, come together and be empowered, by making it easy to flag incidents both as a victim or as a bystander.”

Zoteria enables anyone to report hate incidents directly to LGBTQ+ support charities in a confidential way, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else. For app users who would like support, Galop, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, will reach out and provide a safe space to talk.

As well as helping anyone impacted to get the support they need, Zoteria also aims to improve the data gathered on LGBTQ+ hate incidents. Anonymised regional and city data will be available to local authorities so they can better understand the issue within their region. Data will also help highlight the issues faced by LGBTQ+ people from ethnic minorities, with recent UK studies suggesting specific barriers to support and wellbeing from the impact of racism and homophobia.

The app also provides access to other vital support services, including LGBTQ+ advice, mental health and sexual health services, and to information on local LGBTQ+ events to help people stay connected with their local communities.

The new study from Vodafone showed that people outside the LBGTQ+ community have limited knowledge of the problem or how to deal with it. Almost half (49%) of those surveyed were not sure what constituted an LGBTQ+ hate crime and more than a quarter (28%) admitted they wouldn’t know what to do if they did witness such an incident. More than half (53%) of respondents who had witnessed an LGBTQ+ hate crime said they hadn’t reported it.

Andrew Dunnett, Director, Vodafone Foundation, said: “I’m proud Vodafone Foundation has supported the development of Zoteria, working with our LGBTQ+ employee networks and leading partners to create an app that will help anyone impacted by hate crime get the help and support they need. We want everyone, in society and our workplace, to be themselves and belong. By working together, we can tackle LGBTQ+ hate incidents and make our communities safer for all. Please download the app now, and if you see or experience LGBTQ+ hate crime, flag it with Zoteria.”

Leni Morris (she/her), CEO of Galop, said: “Galop has been supporting LGBTQ+ victims of hate crime for decades, and we know that the official figures only represent a small proportion of what our community experiences on a daily basis in the UK. Zoteria will link LGBTQ+ people who need support directly to our services, run by LGBTQ+ people. This app, alongside our other work, including the National LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline, helps get us a bit closer to a future where all LGBTQ+ people in the UK have access to specialist support in the wake of abuse and violence.”

Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive at Stonewall (she/her) said: “Hate crime against LGBTQ+ people is rising sharply in many countries around the world. For years, Stonewall has worked on tackling hate crime by building systems to gather evidence to advocate for change and to support survivors in over 15 countries. Zoteria is a leading example of how corporates can use their technology and networks to advance LGBTQ+ rights, and we are immensely proud to partner with Vodafone and Galop on this innovative app that will take us one step closer to a world where all LGBTQ+ people are safe and free to be ourselves.”

Zoteria is the latest in Vodafone Foundation’s ‘Apps Against Abuse’ portfolio, including Bright Sky which provides support to those exposed to domestic abuse. For over 10 years, Vodafone Foundation has used technology to connect over 1.5 million people affected by domestic abuse to advice, support, and education.

Zoteria is available to download in the UK, for free, on Apple App store and Google Play Store.

Note: Zoteria is not linked to the police nor is it an emergency app. If someone feels in immediate danger, they should call 999.

Note to Editors

The name Zoteria is inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess or spirit of safety and deliverance from harm.

*A hate incident is defined as any act, which may or may not be a crime, that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards an aspect of a person’s identity. It could include (but is not limited to) verbal abuse, harassment, physical attacks, threats of violence and online abuse.

** https://www.vice.com/en/article/93akz3/lgbtq-hate-crimes

*** An online survey was conducted by independent market research agency Walr, among 1,008 adults aged 18+ in the LGBTQ+ community and 2,002 adults aged 18+ not in the LGBTQ+ community. The research fieldwork took place between 27^th - 29^th September, 2022. Walr is a member organisation of the Market Research Society and abides by all codes of practice. 

Vodafone alongside Galop and Stonewall will monitor how the app is being used to provide continuous improvements that benefit both users and the wider community.

Should anonymised data ever be analysed to look at trends of anti-LGBT+ hate crime in the UK, it will be subject to rigorous scrutiny. Only then, will anonymised regional and city data be available to local authorities so they can better understand the issue within their region.

Galop has many years of experience in working with LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse. Their service involves working closely with LGBT+ people who request support; and attempts to use it fraudulently are very rare.

Earlier this year, it was announced by Ilga in its 2022 Rule of Law report that the UK has dropped in European ranking for LGBTQ+ rights for the third year running.

About Vodafone Foundation

Vodafone Foundation (UK registered charity number 1193984) believes the power of connectivity can change lives and address some of the world’s most pressing problems. Founded in 1991 with a simple mission to invest in the communities in which Vodafone operates, today the charity connects people and ideas with technology and funding, to help those already doing good work to achieve results faster, more cost effectively and with a bigger social impact. Through a strategy of Connecting for Good, Vodafone Group PLC’s philanthropic arm works in partnership with other charitable organisations and NGOs to create solutions that bring about long-term sustainable change and improve 480m lives by 2025.

For further information, please visit www.vodafonefoundation.org

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were also the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester. As of June 2021, we have 5G in 364 locations across Europe - 124 in the UK and 240 across Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. To help deliver Gigabit UK, our full-fibre broadband roll-out programme now covers 15 UK towns and cities through partnerships with CityFibre and Openreach.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

About Galop

Galop is the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, working with and for LGBT+ victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence.

Galop works directly with thousands of LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse and violence every year. They specialise in supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, and other forms of abuse including honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and so-called conversion therapies. Galop is a service run by LGBT+ people, for LGBT+ people, and the needs of the LGBT+ community are at the centre of what they do.

Galop runs three national support helplines: one for LGBT+ victims and survivors of domestic abuse, one for LGBT+ people who have experienced hate crime, and the other for victims and survivors of so-called conversion therapies and practices. They provide advocacy services, both in London and nationally, for LGBT+ victims who need longer-term support. Galop is person-centred, empowerment-based, and trauma-informed – meaning their focus is always on helping clients decide what is best for them, and then supporting them through their journey.

About Stonewall

At Stonewall, we imagine a world where LGBTQ+ people everywhere can live their lives to the full.

Founded in London in 1989, we now work in each nation of the UK and have established partnerships across the globe. Over the last 30 years, we have created transformative change in the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the UK, helping win equal rights around marriage, having children, and inclusive education.

Our campaigns drive positive change for our communities, and our sustained change and empowerment programmes ensure that LGBTQ+ people can thrive throughout their lives. We make sure that the world hears and learns from LGBTQ+ communities, and our work is grounded in evidence and expertise.

We face rising intolerance degrading our hard-won rights, but we won't be silenced. Our work continues until the world we imagine is the world we live in.

For more information, please contact:

Vodafone UK Media Relations Team

Tel: 01635 693693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Website: https://newscentre.vodafone.co.uk

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