In Islamabad, Pakistan, the bedroom of 17-year-old TikToker Sana Yousaf serves as a haunting reminder of her tragic death. Blood stains mark the walls, and bullet holes are visible behind her bed. Her parents, Farzana and Syed Yousaf Hassan, sit in silence, clutching a phone filled with videos of their daughter dancing and smiling. "I still can't believe it," Farzana said. "Even now I think maybe Sana is alive and has just gone to college … but she's gone."

Sana was shot and killed in June by Umar Hayat, a 22-year-old man who police believe had been stalking her after watching her TikTok videos. Authorities say Hayat broke into her home and shot her twice in the chest while her mother and aunt were in the next room. "I completely lost my senses," Farzana recalled. "My world ended."

Police arrested Hayat the following day in Faisalabad, about 200 miles south of Islamabad. He was found with Sana's phone and the weapon used in the crime. Authorities allege that he killed her after she rejected his advances. Sana was a popular influencer, originally from Chitral, with half a million Instagram followers and over a million on TikTok at the time of her death. Her content was light-hearted, featuring lip-syncing, fashion trends, and birthday celebrations.

Sana's murder has shocked the nation, but she is not the only woman to face violence due to her social media presence. Earlier this year, a father in Quetta confessed to killing his 15-year-old daughter over her TikTok activity. In 2021, TikTok star Muskan Sheikh and three colleagues were shot in Karachi, with public discourse focusing on their content rather than the crime itself. Activists argue that these incidents reflect a broader pattern of violence against women in Pakistan.

Prominent gender rights activist Farzana Bari stated, "If the woman is making her own choices or trying to get out of [a man's] control, they will use violence. Independent women are seen as challenging their traditional power."

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, over 700 women were murdered in the first half of this year, with a significant portion classified as honor killings. Additionally, more than 600 women experienced sexual violence, and over 500 were kidnapped. At least eight women were reportedly killed due to their social media activities, echoing the fate of Qandeel Baloch, a social media star murdered by her brother in 2016.

The online environment for women has also become increasingly hostile. Following Sana's death, the Digital Rights Foundation analyzed online comments and found many users glorified her murderer, framing her death as a consequence of her online presence. This narrative, described as "gendered disinformation," shifts blame from the perpetrators to the victims, portraying women's visibility as immoral.

TikTok, which has over 54 million users in Pakistan, has faced multiple bans for "spreading obscenity" and operates under strict moderation. Critics argue that this fosters a culture of surveillance and hostility towards women. Bari emphasized, "In a society which is very patriarchal — socially, culturally, politically — how do you expect that the space which will be created online will be free of the same threats and harassment women feel on the street?"

Despite the challenges, Sana's parents remain resolute. "Girls should be free," Mr. Yousaf said. "Listening to your heart is everyone's right. Working is every woman's right. Why should her desires be murdered?" He called for justice for his daughter, insisting that her killer and those who support him must face severe consequences. "Nowhere does society, the law or Islam give permission to do this," he stated. "These people should be given the strictest punishment … they should be publicly hanged … they cannot be reasoned with."