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The U.K.’s internet safety regulator, Ofcom, has introduced new draft guidelines under the Online Safety Act aimed at protecting women and girls from online threats. The proposed guidance addresses issues such as online misogyny, harassment, and intimate image abuse. With enforcement set to begin in 2027, the guidelines urge companies to prioritize safety by design, ensuring safer online experiences for female users.
The guideline handles problems that extend from harassment to misogyny and intimate image abuse. Approved by the U.K. parliament in September 2023, the OSA imposes strict obligations on firms to tackle illegal content. Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to 10% of a company’s global annual turnover.
The regulator developed this guidance with input from victims, survivors, women’s advocacy groups, and safety experts. The initiative addresses four distinct areas including online misogyny, harassment pile-ons, domestic abuse online and intimate image abuse. Ofcom aims to establish that firms emphasize safety features in their platform development. The execution of these particular measures remains scheduled to commence after 2027. Meanwhile, core duties related to illegal content and child protection start next month.
Ofcom urges companies to adopt a “safety by design” approach to protect female users. Jessica Smith, who led the guidance development, emphasized the need for platforms to rethink user experience. She pointed out that present security measures lack complete risk coverage. AI technology used to create deepfake images has caused an increase in victims of intimate image exploitation. According to Ofcom, the public can benefit from default geolocation removal and abusability testing for identifying potential misuse.
User-friendly reporting tools and prompts within the system serve as deterrents to prevent abusive posts according to the guidance. The implemented procedures serve to prevent damage at its onset. Smith noted that services today fail to achieve the complete standards outlined by the guidance. The guidance asked businesses to begin system implementation without delay while enforcement dates would appear at a later juncture. This draft guidance will undergo a consultation period that ends on May 23, 2025 and the final guidance is projected to be released at the conclusion of this year.
Through its new guidelines, Ofcom has strengthened its position regarding intimate image abuse. The organization now supports hash-matching systems to help detect such content so it can be successfully removed. The new approach represents a change of course due to an increase in deepfake abuse incidents. Reports of such incidents in 2023 exceeded the total from all prior years combined. The regulator plans to update its existing codes soon to reflect this change.
Companies can prepare for future requirements by adopting these measures early. Ofcom will review industry practices and release a report in 2027. Critics argue the OSA’s implementation is too slow, but Smith defended the consultation process. With core duties starting next month, she expects the conversation with platforms to shift.
