Major technology companies have been told they must go “above and beyond” to tackle online abuse targeting women and girls, as the Government intensifies pressure on platforms to improve safety standards.
At a roundtable with leading firms including Snapchat, Meta, YouTube and TikTok on Monday 9 March, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP warned companies that failing to act decisively could result in further intervention from government.
The meeting comes amid growing concern about misogyny, harassment and image-based abuse on digital platforms, and follows a series of legislative and regulatory measures introduced in recent months.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall said:
“Every woman and girl deserves to be safe online and we will stop at nothing to ensure the digital world is working for them, not against them.
“This Government has taken tough action to tackle intimate image abuse, deepfakes and the online harms women and girls face every day.
Now, tech companies must go above and beyond to use the tools readily available to them to make their platforms safer. If they don’t, these companies are not innocent bystanders – they are enabling abuse to thrive.
That is why we are asking Ofcom to report swiftly on how companies are complying, because better safety and better accountability go hand in hand.”
New legal powers targeting online abuse and deepfakes
The warning follows a series of recent government interventions aimed at addressing online violence against women and girls.
Over the past six months, ministers have taken steps to strengthen protections under the Online Safety Act, making intimate image abuse, cyberflashing and choking priority offences. These offences are now treated with the same seriousness as child abuse or terrorism in terms of platform responsibilities.
Earlier this year, the Prime Minister publicly criticised the AI platform Grok after illegal sexualised images of women and girls circulated on the site. Within days, the Government fast-tracked legislation to ban the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfakes.
Further legal requirements now mean technology companies must remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours of being flagged, shifting responsibility from victims to platforms.
Meanwhile, an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill has created a new criminal offence targeting so-called “nudification apps” – AI tools that generate synthetic sexualised images of women and girls.
Ofcom expected to name platforms failing to act
Three months ago, Ofcom published guidance outlining measures companies can take to reduce online abuse, including:
- Prompts encouraging users to reconsider harmful posts
- Limits on coordinated pile-ons
- Stronger default privacy settings
- Hash-matching technology to detect and block intimate images
The regulator is now expected to report on which platforms are failing to comply with these measures.
The Government has urged Ofcom to publish its findings as soon as possible, enabling users to make informed decisions about which platforms are prioritising safety.
Women shaping the future of technology
Alongside regulatory action, the Government is also seeking to increase women’s involvement in shaping emerging technologies.
Later this week, Liz Kendall will convene the Women in Tech Taskforce, which aims to address bias in technology design and ensure women are involved in the development of future digital platforms.
The Government has also launched a public consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, inviting parents, guardians and young people to share views on how to strengthen protections across social media, gaming platforms and AI chatbots. The consultation will inform further policy decisions later this year.
Industry leaders call for cultural change in technology companies
Industry leaders say stronger regulation must be accompanied by deeper cultural change within technology companies.
Zahra Shah, Chair of the UKAI Women in AI Working Group, said:
“The Secretary is right to set this challenge. The moment for voluntary measures has passed. If we are serious about safety, it must be woven into the fabric of technology from the outset – not added as an afterthought when harm has already been done.
“Through UKAI’s work in Parliament and with industry leaders, the collective view is clear: regulation alone is not enough. We need a cultural shift inside these companies, where protecting women and girls becomes a measure of success, not a compliance burden.
“Britain has a choice: we can lead the world in responsible AI, or we can import the mistakes of the past. UKAI will work with government and industry to ensure we lead.”
As the regulatory landscape evolves, pressure is mounting on technology companies to demonstrate that safeguarding users – particularly women and girls – is embedded at the core of how digital platforms are designed and governed.