Ofcom has issued new guidance urging technology firms to provide a safer online experience for women and girls.

The regulator said that women and girls face “distinct and serious” risks online, which include misogynistic abuse, sexual violence, coordinated pile-ons, stalking, coercive control and intimate image abuse.

The guidance goes beyond what is needed to comply with their legal duties under the Online Safety Act, which Ofcom said will set a new and ambitious standard for women’s and girls’ online safety.

Ofcom has urged firms to introduce “prompts” which ask users to reconsider before posting harmful content, “timeouts” for users who repeatedly attempt to abuse a platform or functionality to target victims, and de-monetising posts or videos which promote misogynistic abuse and sexual violence.

The regulator added that it also expects tech firms to carry out “abusability testing” for new services or features before they roll them out, to identify from the outset how they might be misused by perpetrators.

It advised moderation teams to receive specialised training on online gender-based harms, recommending companies consult with experts to design policies and safety features that work effectively for women and girls while continually listening and learning from survivors’ and victims’ real-life experiences.

Ofcom said its new guidance was developed with insights from victims, survivors, safety experts, women’s advocacy groups and organisations working with men and boys.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief executive, said that she was deeply shocked by stories from women and girls who have experienced abuse online.

“That’s why today we are sending a clear message to tech firms to step up and act in line with our practical industry guidance, to protect their female users against the very real online risks they face today,” she added. “With the continued support of campaigners, advocacy groups and expert partners, we will hold companies to account and set a new standard for women’s and girls’ online safety in the UK.”

Earlier this week domestic abuse charity Refuge warned that tech abuse, including spycam surveillance, has risen dramatically this year.

According to data from the organisation, referrals to its technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment team jumped by 62 per cent in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period of last year.

By the end of September, the team had already received more referrals than in the whole of 2024.

Ellie Butt, head of policy and public affairs at Refuge, welcomed the publication of Ofcom’s guidance, saying that meaningful protection for women and girls will depend on tech companies fully engaging and putting it into practice.

“The need to address online violence against women and girls could not be more urgent,” she added. “As the UK’s largest domestic abuse service provider, Refuge’s work with survivors of tech abuse shows just how critical stronger regulation is.

“We are proud that survivors played a central role in shaping Ofcom’s guidance through focus groups led by Refuge, highlighting the urgent need for a ‘safety-by-design’ approach that prioritises not just effective responses to abuse but proactive prevention.”

The head of policy added that if tech companies do not step up and show ambition in their approach to implementing the recommended measures, the government should commit to making the guidance “legally enforceable”.

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