Britain has launched a crackdown on “hyper-masculine” social media after digital watchdog Ofcom urged technology giants to go “above and beyond” the Online Safety Act in taking action against “misogyny influencers”. The Telegraph has the story.
The technology regulator has proposed new measures aimed at tackling online abuse of women and girls, urging social media sites to go “above and beyond” the legal duties required under the Online Safety Act when tackling sexist speech.
Ofcom warned that “misogynistic influencers” were being “rewarded” with “greater reach, particularly to boys and young men” by tech giants’ algorithms.
It said these influencers attracted young men and boys by showing off their status and wealth or by giving out mental health or relationship advice.
At the same time, they use their position to “glorify, justify and create tolerance for sexual violence”.
The regulator said: “Misogynistic speech is often not illegal, but, at scale, it can normalise harmful beliefs in men and boys and impact women and girls’ experience both online and offline.” …
In guidance to technology companies, Ofcom called on them to take action against “misogynistic influencers” and tackle targeted “pile-ons” and harassment against women, in addition to blocking illegal behaviour under the Online Safety Act, such as “cyberflashing” and digital stalking.
Melanie Dawes, the Ofcom Chief Executive, warned technology companies were “failing to act” on the “very real online risks that women and girls face today”.
The regulator has launched a consultation into its suggestions for how tech giants should tackle harm against women online. Ms Dawes called on companies to “set a new and ambitious standard for women and girls’ online safety”. …
Elon Musk has pushed back against Britain’s attempts to regulate social media more broadly. He has been at the forefront of a backlash in Silicon Valley against European online safety rules.
Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, has accused Europe of “institutionalising censorship” to attack American tech giants. The Meta billionaire has also called for more “masculine energy” within companies and a rolling back of diversity programmes.
In January, he ordered a rewrite of the technology giant’s moderation rules, including scrubbing policies which banned users from describing women as a man’s “property”.
Ofcom has suggested introducing “nudges” to warn users against posting or sharing misogynistic posts or demonetising misogynistic accounts. It also called on companies to deploy technology that can detect and automatically block revenge pornography. The draft guidance on stopping online abuse of women will be finalised later this year.
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