Source · Select Committees · Petitions Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 21
Online abuse can have a devastating impact on those who are exposed to it, and...
Conclusion
Online abuse can have a devastating impact on those who are exposed to it, and we are alarmed at evidence suggesting the problem has worsened since the covid-19 pandemic began. While tackling this issue is important in making the online environment safer for everyone, it must be recognised that online abuse is disproportionately targeted at certain groups. The Government is right to acknowledge the extent of this problem but should assess and track the scale of this behaviour more precisely and comprehensively.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the devastating impact of online abuse and describes how the Online Safety Bill will ensure illegal abuse is handled and children are protected, but it does not specifically address the recommendation to assess and track the scale of this behaviour more precisely.
Paragraph Reference:
21
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
We thank the Committee for this recommendation. The Online Safety Bill will require the largest service providers to publish annual transparency reports. The Bill sets out a high level list of information that Ofcom can require services to report on. These reports will set out information about the steps these services are taking to tackle harms on their platforms. This includes information about the incidence of illegal and harmful content, information about the processes in place for users to report illegal and harmful content, as well as information on the measures being taken by a service provider to provide for a higher standard of protection for children than for adults. These reports will help Ofcom and users understand the prevalence of online harms and may provide insights into the level of violence against women and girls content online. Ofcom will also produce an annual transparency report which will include information about the contents of the reports services have published. Furthermore, Ofcom will have the power to require services to provide information directly to Ofcom, including to support its research activity, which could also provide insights into violence against women and girls online. Separately Ofcom will carry out risk assessments, covering illegal content, content that is harmful to children and legal content that may harm adults to identify, assess and understand the risks of harm to individuals presented by services. It will publish a register of risks, reflecting the findings of the risk assessments. Ofcom will also carry out regular reviews looking at the incidence and severity of content that is harmful to children and content that is harmful to adults on services. Ofcom will publish a report after each review which will include advice on whether to make changes to priority harms to children and adults. The Online Safety Bill