Tory peers seek tougher rules to tackle misogyny online

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Tory peers seek tougher rules to tackle misogyny online

A group of peers said that tougher rules are needed to target misogyny online as part of the online safety bill.

Social media firms are required by law to abide by their terms and conditions, which generally bar misogynistic abuse, under the online safety bill that is being finalised. Failure to enforce them will result in fines and their services could be blocked by Ofcom, the online watchdog.

A group of Tory peers, including Nicky Morgan, Gabrielle Bertin and Helen Newlove, want to put forward an amendment that would see the law go further.

If a code outlawing online misogyny is not implemented, Ofcom will be given the power to fine social media companies up to 10% of their global turnover.

The amendment is expected to be supported by the Labour party.

Lady Morgan said on Saturday of the proposed amendment on BBC Radio 4 s Today programme that women are 27 times more likely to be harassed online, and unfortunately without that regulation we are allowing misogyny to flourish in plain sight and women are being driven offline. The peers believe that the government's plans for new offences including cyberstalking and sharing intimate images such as revenge porn do not go far enough and will fail to stop online misogynistic abuse that harms women and girls.

Lucy Powell, shadow culture secretary, told the Telegraph the bill had been weakened by the removal of provisions on legal but harmful content, which had left viral misogyny free to proliferate. At the very least, Ofcom should have the power to set codes of practice for platforms, to ensure that their systems and processes are not actively pushing people towards violence against women and girls.

Campaign groups including the Carnegie Trust, the NSPCC and the 5 Rights Foundation have drawn up a draft code of practice for online companies, which conceived the original duty of care concept behind the government's online safety bill, and have drawn up a draft code of practice for the online companies.