Ofcom has proposed concrete measures today aimed at combating online harms against women and girls, setting a high standard for their safety on digital platforms. Developed with input from victims, survivors, women’s advocacy groups, and safety experts, their draft guidance outlines practical and ambitious steps tech firms can take to enhance online safety. These measures focus on key issues such as online misogyny, pile-ons and harassment, online domestic abuse, and intimate image abuse.

The guidance identifies nine areas where technology firms should enhance their efforts, emphasizing responsibility, proactive design to prevent harm, and robust user support. It advocates a safety-by-design approach, urging providers to integrate women and girls' concerns into all aspects of service operation and design. Practical examples include 'abuse-ability' testing, technologies to prevent image abuse, improved account controls, and enhanced moderation training.

This initiative responds to the significant challenges women and girls face online, where they often encounter abuse and threats that can impact their personal and professional lives. Under UK law, tech services now have obligations to safeguard users from illegal and harmful content, particularly addressing gender-based harms like stalking, harassment, and abusive content.

Ofcom's role will be pivotal in enforcing these new standards, ensuring tech firms comply with their legal duties and actively protect users. Beyond legal enforcement, the guidance calls for continuous vigilance against emerging threats and invites public feedback to refine and strengthen these measures.

Ultimately, this effort seeks not only to meet legal obligations but also to foster greater trust and safety for female users, making online spaces more inclusive and secure for all.

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