Ofcom has published new guidance for technology firms on how to improve online safety for women and girls.

Under the Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom is required to produce specific guidance for user-to-user and search service providers on how they can address content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls. This complements existing guidance from Ofcom on illegal content and the protection of children, which we have discussed here and here.

Four specific types of harm are identified and focussed upon: (1) misogynistic abuse and sexual violence; (2) ‘pile-ons’ and co-ordinated harassment; (3) stalking and coercive control; and (4) image-based sexual abuse.

The guidance sets out both ‘foundational’ and ‘good practice’ steps that regulated services can take to mitigate the risk of such harms arising, centred around 9 ‘actions’:

1. Ensure governance and accountability processes address women and girls’ online safety;
2. Conduct risk assessments that focus on harms to women and girls;
3. Be transparent about women and girls’ online safety;
4. Conduct abusability evaluations and product testing;
5. Set safer defaults;
6. Reduce the circulation of content depicting, promoting or encouraging online gender-based harms;
7. Give users better control over their experiences;
8. Enable users who experience online gender-based harms to make reports; and
9. Respond appropriately when online gender-based harms occur.

The guidance expands upon each of these actions in detail, and includes helpful case studies illustrating how platforms might apply them in practice.

Commenting on the publication of the guidance, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, said “no woman should have to think twice before expressing herself online, or worry about an abuser tracking her location. That’s why today we are sending a clear message to tech firms to step up and act in line with our practical industry guidance, to protect their female users against the very real online risks they face today. 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”.

To read the guidance in full, click here.