Calling on Ofcom to Address Online Harms Affecting Boys and Men

Along with many of my colleagues, I wrote to Ofcom yesterday to ask them to reconsider their decision not to publish guidance to address online harms facing boys and men.

In November, Ofcom fulfilled its statutory duty to produce guidance related to women and girls online – and it is right that the regulator acts now to recognise the specific harms that disproportionately affect men and boys, such as gambling and other financial harms, ‘sextortion’, fraud and scams.

It is vital that we protect young men from falling into an insular, toxic, pornography-fuelled world of disinformation, misogyny, and hatred, and instead give them a real alternative with positive role models and an inspiring vision for their future.