Overview
- Felicity Oswald says social media firms are cutting safety staff and systems, leaving misogynistic and harmful content insufficiently addressed.
- A Girlguiding survey of more than 2,500 respondents found 26% of girls aged 13 to 18 have seen a sexualised deepfake of themselves, a friend or a celebrity.
- ONS figures for March 2024 to March 2025 show reported sexual crimes rose 11%, with over half attributed to online offences such as revenge porn and cyberflashing.
- Despite Online Safety Act measures taking effect in July 2025, a BBC investigation found children still exposed to violent, bullying and suicide content.
- Girlguiding is collecting signatures for an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and is urging stronger enforcement and more women in AI roles so tools consider girls’ safety.