Research and analysis

Platform design and the risk of online violence against women and girls

A report investigating the impact of platform design on online violence against women and girls (VAWG).

• From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Published: 6 February 2025

Documents

Platform design and the risk of online violence against women and girls

PDF, 1.31 MB, 81 pages

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Details

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) commissioned this report in late 2022 to investigate the impact of platform design on online VAWG. Research shows that online VAWG is a growing problem and that there is a need to identify the gaps in the current understanding to support research and evidence gathering.

The report sets out to understand:

• how design features of online platforms and services can enable online violence against women and girls to happen
• how existing safety by design approaches can protect against the risk of online VAWG
• potential new design approaches to ensure safety for women and girls on online platforms and services

The report aims to:

• contribute to the evidence-building around online VAWG for an international audience
• support women and girls around the world to safely take part in and benefit from the liberties that online spaces can bring

Keeping women and girls safe online should be at the heart of platform design from the start, rather than as an add-on. As part of this, information on support that is available to victims should be a key part of the user journey, rather than simply part of general community guidelines.

The report highlights that there should also be an appreciation for the intersectionality of victim communities and the increased risk that some groups face, such as the LGBTQ+ community, women and girls who have disabilities, and/or are black or from ethnic minority and indigenous backgrounds.

While this report does not cover all aspects of online VAWG, we hope that the findings and practical recommendations encourage action from online platforms to adopt design approaches that better protect women and girls online.

For this to be realised there needs to be increased knowledge and data sharing between platforms regarding trust and safety to help construct a consistent and effective approach to tackling online VAWG.

Published 6 February 2025