Ofcom Pushes Industry Action on Misogyny, Stalking and Image Abuse

Ofcom has released its final Guidance on a Safer Life Online for Women and Girls, marking one of the most significant steps yet in implementing the UK’s Online Safety Act. The guidance outlines more than 60 specific measures that tech companies are being urged to adopt to address gender-based harms, including misogynistic abuse, coordinated harassment, stalking, coercive control, and intimate image abuse.

The regulator says the new framework sets “a new and ambitious standard” for digital safety, going further than platforms’ minimum legal duties. Developed with input from victims, advocacy organisations, and safety specialists, the guidance outlines practical steps companies can take across design, moderation, and enforcement.

Tech firms are encouraged to introduce stronger protections against common forms of abuse, such as prompts that encourage users to rethink before posting abusive content, time-outs for repeat offenders, and tools that make it easier for users to block or mute multiple accounts during mass harassment campaigns. Companies are also advised to carry out “abusability testing” on new features before launch, as well as strengthen account security and limit default geolocation settings. For image-based sexual abuse, Ofcom is urging the adoption of technologies such as hash-matching to detect non-consensual intimate images, alongside features like automatic blurring of nudity and clear pathways for reporting potential criminal offenses.

Ofcom has also published an open letter from CEO Dame Melanie Dawes, calling on online services to begin implementing the guidance immediately. The regulator plans to supervise companies closely over the coming months and will report publicly on individual platforms’ progress in 2027.