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Online safety watchdog, Ofcom, has launched new industry guidance demanding tech firms deliver a safer online experience for women and girls in the UK.<\/p>\n
A new five-point plan will help drive change and ensure tech firms are held accountable. This includes ensuring compliance with their legal duties under the Online Safety Act, strengthening industry Codes, meeting with firms for close supervision, publicly reporting on progress, and highlighting lived experience.<\/p>\n
Firms will also consider introducing prompts asking users to reconsider before posting harmful content, imposing timeouts for those who repeatedly attempt to abuse or target victims, and demonetising posts which promote misogynistic abuse and sexual violence.<\/p>\n
The guidance was developed with insights from victims, survivors, safety experts, women’s advocacy groups and organisations working with men and boys.<\/p>\n
Research found female footballers were 29 per cent more likely to be targeted by online abuse than their male counterparts during recent World Cups.<\/p>\n
Nearly 70 per cent of boys aged 11-14 have been exposed to online content that promotes misogyny and other harmful views, and 73 per cent of Gen Z social media users have witnessed misogynistic content online.<\/p>\n
The Revenge Porn Helpline found 98 per cent of intimate images reported were of women, and 99 per cent of deep fake intimate image abuse depicted women.<\/p>\n