Tech companies are under pressure to combat online misogyny by increasing their efforts to address trolling and harmful treatment of women and girls.
Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, has embraced the new guidance from the media regulator and cautioned social media firms that they are complicit in fostering environments where sexism thrives if they do not take action.
Ofcom’s fresh guidance encourages online platforms to implement “prompts” to prompt users to rethink before posting misogynistic or sexually violent content. It also proposes the enforcement of “timeouts” for users who repeatedly try to abuse a platform to target victims.
Furthermore, Ofcom advises social media companies to demonetize posts or videos that endorse misogynistic abuse and to enhance diverse content in recommendation feeds to combat “toxic echo” chambers. Additionally, platforms should consider imposing volume restrictions on posts to prevent mass posting of abuse in pile-ons.
One of the recommendations is for companies to utilize automated technology like “hash-matching” to identify and remove non-consensual intimate images. Nevertheless, the guidance is not legally binding, with the online safety organization Internet Matters urging the Government to make it compulsory.
Ms. Kendall emphasized that tech firms possess the means and tools to block and eliminate online misogyny. She stated that if they do not act, they are not just bystanders but are actively contributing to the normalization of abuse against women and girls.
Rachel Huggins, co-chief executive at Internet Matters, expressed that Ofcom’s guidance includes robust measures to enhance online safety, such as better privacy defaults and strategies to curb the spread of misogynistic content. However, she urged the Government to make this guidance mandatory to achieve its goal of reducing violence against women and girls.
Ofcom highlighted that women in various fields, including sports and politics, face substantial online abuse regularly. The regulator will assess individual companies’ progress by summer 2027 and may suggest enhancements to the Online Safety Act if necessary.
Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, emphasized the importance of tech firms taking action to protect female users from the prevalent online risks they encounter.