UK: Online misogyny set to be outlawed

Article here. Excerpt:

'Misogynistic abuse should be banned online, the Government believes.

Michelle Donelan, the Culture Secretary, is understood to believe the Online Safety Bill has the power to stamp out attacks on women on the internet.

The plans to crack down on online misogyny come as leading Tory peers including Baroness Morgan, a former culture secretary, are pushing for the law to go further to include a legally-enforced code of practice requiring social media firms to prevent online violence and abuse against women and girls.

Under the new Online Safety Bill, which is currently being finalised, social media firms will be required by law to abide by their terms and conditions, which generally bar misogynistic abuse.

Failure to enforce the terms and conditions will result in fines, and their services could be blocked by Ofcom, the online watchdog.

Further measures require big social media platforms to provide users with optional online tools that would allow women to screen out misogynistic abuse.

However, a group of Tory peers including Baroness Morgan, Baroness Bertin, a former aide to David Cameron, and Baroness Newlove, a former victims’ commissioner, plan to put forward an amendment that would see the law go further.

It would give Ofcom the power to fine social media companies up to 10 per cent of their global turnover if they failed to abide by a code outlawing online misogyny.'