Tech Secretary Liz Kendall demands social media giants enhance safety for women against online abuse

March 10, 2026

KEY INFORMATION:

Tech Secretary Liz Kendall held a roundtable with Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Companies are urged to implement safety measures to protect women and girls from online misogyny.
Intimate image abuse and cyberflashing are now priority offences under the Online Safety Act.
New regulations require platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours.
Ofcom will monitor compliance and report on platforms failing to meet safety standards.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall, has informed major technology firms that they must increase efforts to protect women and girls from online abuse.

During a roundtable meeting on 9 March 2026, representatives from Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube were told to implement safety measures more rapidly. The government intends to halve violence against women and girls over the next ten years.

Effective online abuse protection measures are now a legal requirement for platforms operating in the UK under the Online Safety Act.

Regulatory requirements and priority offences

Under recent legislative updates, intimate image abuse, cyberflashing, and "choking" material have been designated as priority offences. This classification grants these harms the same legal status as child abuse or terrorism. Consequently, platforms hold a legal duty to prevent such content from reaching users.

Additional requirements dictate that tech firms must remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours of a report. This shift aims to place the burden of action on the platforms rather than the victims. Furthermore, an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill has criminalised "nudification apps," which use artificial intelligence to generate synthetic sexualised images.

Tech Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Every woman and girl deserves to be safe online and we will stop at nothing to ensure the digital world is working for them, not against them. Now, tech companies must go above and beyond to use the tools readily available to them to make their platforms safer."

Monitoring and accountability

Ofcom has provided guidance on practical steps platforms can take to reduce harassment and stalking. Suggested measures include limits on "pile-ons," stronger default privacy settings, and hash-matching technology to identify intimate images. The regulator is expected to publish reports identifying platforms that fail to comply with these standards.

Liz Kendall added: "If they don’t, these companies are not innocent bystanders – they are enabling abuse to thrive. That is why we are asking Ofcom to report swiftly on how companies are complying, because better safety and better accountability go hand in hand."

Future initiatives and public consultation

A "Women in Tech Taskforce" will convene later this week to address bias in technology design. The group will focus on building online spaces that prevent harm from the outset. Additionally, a public consultation is currently open for parents and young people to share insights on children's digital wellbeing. The government expects to respond to this consultation in the summer of 2026.

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This report is based on official data from Council / Local Authority. Document: Tech companies must go 'above and beyond' to protect women and girls from online abuse or face further action Source Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tech-companies-must-go-above-and-beyond-to-protect-women-and-girls-from-online-abuse-or-face-further-action

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