The head of media regulator Ofcom says tech firms must do more to protect women online, after a report revealed that women are more affected by discriminatory, hateful or trolling content than men.
The findings were part of Ofcom’s 'Online Nation' report, which looked into the online lives of people in the UK.
Only 42 per cent of the women that participated in its survey said they felt comfortable about speaking freely online. The report found women are more likely than men to face online abuse or see harmful content and are also more likely to be distressed by it.
Distressful content often related to negative body image, excessive dieting or eating disorders, as well as misogynistic content and content relating to self-harm or suicide. In general, women were less likely to agree that the benefits of being online outweighed the risks and were less confident than men that they will not come to harm online.
“The message from women who go online...