Ofcom to name and shame tech firms over women’s abuse online | Global News Avenue

Comments browsing her social media posts might be Miah Carter’s emotional roller coaster.

The 21-year-old influencer has provided her 3.3 million followers with makeup, body positivity and lip sync content on Tiktok, but says her success online has been constantly abused.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Miah said she received abusive comment: “Every day, every day… the trolls I get are disgusting”.

Her speech at Ofcom has launched a new draft guidance aimed at improving the online experience of women and girls.

OFCOM CEO Dame Melanie Dawes has said that if tech companies adopt these draft guidelines, it will be a “appropriate blueprint” to protect women and girls online.

The guidance from broadcast regulators ranges from measures to tackle online misogyny to steps designed to address private image abuse.

But Samantha Miller from the National Police Chiefs’ Council told Radio 5 that the UK could not “pass this police”.

She had a special program with Nicky Campbell about the special program for women and women’s safety online, and she said “all agencies need to be part of it with us.”

“You have to have some control, i.e. when this behavior, speech, sin, especially based on gender,” she said.

“And we have to know that there will be controls and regulations that will allow us to have a platform to consider the content it promotes.”

Miah told the BBC that the messages left by her post included comments that encouraged her to commit suicide, as well as personal assaults on her appearance.

“When I first started social media, my followers came really quickly,” she said. “That way, hatred (comments) came.

“At that time, I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions. It really affected my mental health and had the idea of ​​suicide.

“Now, I’ve learned to ignore comments and if I can bother me, I’ll delete them.”

Ofcom has previously issued guidance on protection to tech companies Online children And process Illegal online content.

Dame Melanie said on Live Stand 5 that the organization would “absolutely” “absolutely” names and humiliate companies that did not follow the guidance, so the public would know which companies “do not take them seriously (user’s Safety)”.

Regulators want sites and applications to voluntarily take these measures in what they call “design approach safe”. For example, they can use “abuseful” testing to determine how malicious users can exploit services or features.

In the Online Security Act, which will come into effect this year, will force social media companies to show that they are removing illegal content such as child sexual abuse, inciting violence and promoting or promoting suicide positions. The law also says companies must protect children from harmful materials, including pornography.

Content creator Harriet Maynard also experienced abusing comments, sometimes escalating to pile-ups – many people harassing a person online.

Her Instagram posts target female audiences and involve issues surrounding parental and lifestyle content.

Although primarily female followers, when Harriet’s video spread, she said she “received a lot of negative information, mostly from men”.

“I don’t usually let it bother me, but when you suffer a wave of online abuse, it will disappoint you.

“In the ‘ordinary’ workplace, if you are bullied or harassed, then there is a HR department that can handle it accordingly. But with what we live online, nothing is like this.”

Nicole Jacobs, the commissioner for domestic abuse in England and Wales, welcomed the draft guidance.

“I’m glad Ofcom is stepping up the process of starting the guidance to tech companies to address this issue,” she said. “Now, these companies implement these recommendations and ensure that perpetrators can no longer cause harm to online platforms.

“By taking meaningful practical actions, people will not only be safer online, but they will also prove that tech companies are ready to play a role in dealing with domestic abuse.”

Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in sexual violence, online abuse and pornography regulations, said she believes that it will be difficult to make meaningful changes without the guidance of legal power.

“Experience shows that there is an absolute minimum for tech platforms to comply with the law, with little to no. In the current climate, this is unlikely to change.”

“We urgently need to do more by strengthening regulation, making many of the recommendations legally binding. A dedicated online safety committee prioritizing online hazards will be a positive next step.”

Some suggestions from Ofcom’s tech companies include:

• “Abuse” tests to determine how services or features can be utilized.
• User prompts people to reconsider harmful or abuse of materials.
• Easier account controls, such as bundling default settings, to make it easier for women who experience stacking to protect their accounts.
• The geolocation is removed by default.
• Training training teams deal with online domestic abuse.

While a Ofcom report shows women are five times more likely to suffer from intimate image abuse and are more likely to report negatively affected by online harm than men, Melanie said the guidance is not “women and men” Or demonize men.”

“I think a lot of men really care about that too. And the wider culture that is being done online, I just think it’s not healthy for anyone.

“Misophobia that becomes normalized in certain parts of the internet, which is not great for boys. It won’t help them to build proper, strong, healthy relationships when they grow up. So I really hope men will also Be able to participate.

Harriet believes some of the suggestions from ofcom will be invalid, such as pop-ups on the screen to make users want to post abused comments.

“I don’t think this kind of person would offend someone by doing their own thing. They’re hiding behind the keyboard. Totally cowardly,” she said.

But if built in on social media platforms, she would welcome more protections for women, adding that users should be able to protect themselves from “pure abuse.”

MIAH believes that guidance may make a difference if the company chooses to follow this guidance.

“I want to see tech companies do more,” she said, “[Ofcom faces]a huge challenge, but if they are in charge of the platform, it’s actually possible.

“At present, revenge is often nowhere to be found – requiring stricter law enforcement and the actual consequences of harmful behavior.”

“We have removed any language that incites or promotes serious violence, bans accounts and works with law enforcement, or direct threats to public safety,” META, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said in a statement to the BBC.

“We continue to work with women’s security groups to understand the different ways women’s harassment can occur while improving our technology to detect and eliminate abuse faster.”

The BBC has also contacted other social media companies including Tiktok and X for comment.

If you are affected by the questions raised in this article, you can BBC Action Line Website.

Radio 5 Live’s Nicky Campbell is composed of a panel of experts and studio audiences, discussing women and girls’ safety online, public places and at home. Listen to BBC from 0900 GMT to 1100.