Ofcom shares new guidance urging tech firms to boost protections for women and girls online

• The Online Safety Act 2023 makes platforms legally accountable for shielding UK users from illegal and harmful content.
• Ofcom said it will enforce compliance using its full regulatory powers where necessary.
• New guidance highlights the unique risks faced by women and girls on digital platforms.

UK communications regulator Ofcom has released new guidance outlining nine key areas where tech companies should strengthen protections for women and girls online. 

The regulator urged firms to take responsibility, build safety into their platforms, and provide better support for users.

The Online Safety Act 2023 makes online platforms legally responsible for protecting UK users from illegal content and safeguarding children from harmful material, including harms that disproportionately impact women and girls.

Ofcom said it has issued final Codes and risk-assessment guidance for tackling illegal and harmful content, and will hold tech companies accountable to the law, using enforcement powers when required.

Strengthening user safety 

The regulator has also provided guidance on how platforms can address harmful content and activity that disproportionately affect women and girls, acknowledging the specific risks they face.

Ofcom's guidance outlines nine areas where tech companies can better protect women and girls online by taking responsibility, building safer designs, and supporting users.

The guidance highlights key areas of harm facing women and girls online, supported by real case studies. These include misogynistic abuse and sexual violence, coordinated harassment or “pile-ons”, image-based sexual abuse and cyberflashing. 

To address these issues, Ofcom has set out a five-point action plan to drive meaningful change and hold tech companies accountable for creating a safer digital environment for women and girls.

“When I listen to women and girls who’ve experienced online abuse, their stories are deeply shocking,” said Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes. “Survivors describe how a single image shared without their consent shattered their sense of self and safety. 

“Journalists, politicians and athletes face relentless trolling while simply doing their jobs. No woman should have [to] think twice before expressing herself online, or worry about an abuser tracking her location.

She added: “With the continued support of campaigners, advocacy groups and expert partners, we will hold companies to account and set a new standard for women’s and girls’ online safety in the UK.”

The official guidance can be accessed here.