Recommendation 5

The Government’s online safety proposals do not go far enough in acknowledging and seeking to tackle the heightened levels of abuse faced by some communities online. While the requirement for Ofcom to consult with civil society groups in Tackling Online Abuse 47 developing elements of the regulatory framework such as codes of practice for platforms is welcome, the Online Safety Bill should ensure specific protections for these communities. The Bill should align with the protections already established in the Equality Act and hate crime laws, and require social media companies to consider the different risks potentially faced by users from these communities on their platforms. It should also include additional user advocacy arrangements over and above those already set out in the draft Bill.