Inside the Burnerverse: The Network of Anonymous Men Destroying Young Women’s Lives

I've spent months investigating the burnerverse,

a loosely connected network of burner accounts on X

that's destroying young women's lives.

Despite all the damage they've inflicted,

these accounts have remained totally anonymous

until one woman decided to fight back.

Let me explain.

Mostly operated by college students and alumni.

In theory, the burners are supposed

to be discussing college sports,

but this faceless corner of the internet

has another mission, targeting women who are young,

conventionally attractive, and studying at college.

Some of these women had non-consensual intimate images

shared, while others had false

or unverifiable rumors

about their personal lives circulated.

University of Florida student, Maddie Kowalski,

in her first interview with a mainstream news outlet,

told me about the terrible impact being targeted

by the burnerverse had on her life.

In November 2025, Kowalski heard that a nude image

of her was circulating on UF group chats

without her consent.

Soon enough, a burner account dropped video

on X where it went viral.

Content showing her naked, incapacitated,

and engaging in sex acts

was viewed more than 8.5 million times.

Kowalski and her family were harassed nonstop,

and she temporarily withdrew from classes.

She developed rashes on her face, lost hair,

and was diagnosed with PTSD.

Kowalski isn't the only burnerverse victim.

Wired has established that at least nine other women

were doxxed in a similar way,

but most remained silent following their harassment,

hoping for the uproar to blow over.

Kowalski didn't.

She says she decided to focus on identifying the burners,

holding the people

who shared her non-consensual images to account.

She told me, I want people to know who they are

and what they did.