Online abuse

OS-legal but harmful

Creating a safer life online for women and girls

Published: 25 November 2025

Last updated: 9 September 2026

Women and girls’ online safety is a priority for Ofcom. This page provides a summary of the work we are undertaking in this space.

Call for Evidence: A Safer Life Online for Women and Girls

Published: 9 September 2026

This Call for Evidence invites interested stakeholders to provide Ofcom with evidence and insights about women and girls’ online experiences since the publication of our Guidance in November 2025.

Online Safety: Register of categorised services and list of emerging Category 1 services

Published: 30 June 2026

Last updated: 14 August 2026

The published register of categorised services sets out which services are categorised and are therefore subject to additional duties under the Act.

Consultation: Giving users more choice, control and trust in their online experience

Published: 10 July 2026

Last updated: 31 July 2026

This consultation is part of the third phase of Ofcom’s implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023, which focuses on bringing greater transparency, accountability and user choice some of the most widely used online services in the UK.

Experiences of hateful content

Published: 10 July 2026

Ofcom has commissioned a survey of UK adults aged 18+ about their experiences of encountering hateful content online over the last 12 months.

Keeping people who work in sport safe online during the World Cup

Published: 8 June 2026

Ofcom has written to online platforms ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to make sure they protect sportspeople and pundits from harm in line with their duties under the Online Safety Act.

English Football, Ofcom and Police join forces to tackle online abuse

Published: 17 February 2026

A new partnership between English Football, the UK Football Police Unit and Ofcom will streamline collaboration in their collective fight against online abuse in football.

Statement and Guidance: A safer life online for women and girls

Published: 25 February 2025

Last updated: 3 December 2025

Today we are publishing practical guidance for tech companies on creating a safer life online for women and girls.

Experiences of online hate and abuse among women in politics

Published: 14 July 2025

A new Ofcom report draws on the online experiences of women working in politics – including current and former Members of Parliament.

Experiences of online hate and abuse among women in politics

Published: 14 July 2025

This report examines the experiences of online hate and abuse faced by UK women in politics. Based on a survey and in-depth interviews with current and former women MPs, it details their personal experiences of receiving online hate and abuse in their day-to-day lives.