Social media platforms are being urged to limit internet “pile-ons” under new guidelines from Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, aimed at protecting women and girls online. The guidance, which comes into force on Tuesday, targets misogynist abuse, coercive control, and the sharing of intimate images without consent.
The measures recommend that tech companies enforce limits on the number of responses to posts on platforms such as X, in a move Ofcom hopes will reduce pile-ons, where individual users are deluged with abusive replies. Other recommendations include using “hash-matching” technology to detect and remove intimate images shared without consent, often referred to as “revenge porn”.
The guidelines have been issued under the Online Safety Act (OSA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to protect children and adults from harmful material online. Although technically voluntary, Ofcom has warned it will publish a report in 2027 on how platforms have responded, and may recommend strengthening the OSA if action is insufficient.
Ofcom’s chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, said she had encountered “shocking” stories of online abuse suffered by women and girls. “We are sending a clear message to tech firms to step up and act in line with our practical industry guidance,” she said. “With the continued support of campaigners, advocacy groups and expert partners, we will hold companies to account and set a new standard for women’s and girls’ online safety in the UK.”
Additional recommendations include prompts asking users to think twice before posting abusive content, “time-outs” for repeat offenders, preventing misogynistic users from earning advertising revenue, and allowing users to block or mute multiple accounts at once. Internet Matters, a nonprofit focused on children’s online safety, said the guidance should be made mandatory, warning many companies are likely to ignore it.
