The internet can be a treacherous place, especially for young men and boys who are increasingly being targeted by harmful influencers and online content. As reported by The Guardian, a group of Labour MPs is calling on Ofcom to provide specific guidance to online platforms to protect men and boys from the negative effects of the manosphere.
More than 60 Labour MPs have written to Ofcom's chief executive, Melanie Dawes, urging her to take action against manosphere influencers who expose men and boys to gambling, sextortion, and violent pornography. The MPs argue that while women and girls are often the focus of online safety efforts, men and boys are also vulnerable to specific types of harm.
According to the Gambling Commission, 53% of 11- to 17-year-old boys see gambling adverts online each week, compared to 31% of their female peers. Additionally, 91% of sextortion victims are male, according to the Internet Watch Foundation. These statistics highlight the need for targeted protection for men and boys online.
The Manosphere's Influence
Alistair Strathern, the MP for Hitchin and co-chair of the Labour group for men and boys, says that the Louis Theroux documentary Inside the Manosphere is a reminder of the ways in which the internet can prey on young men and boys. The documentary reveals how some manosphere influencers exploit young men by peddling lies, falsehoods, and hate.
Nick Isles, the director of the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, agrees that these influencers are having a profound impact on young men and boys. He says that the people affected by these influencers are not just the individuals themselves, but also the women and girls in their lives. Isles argues that using existing laws to prosecute hate speech, creating new legislation where needed, and confiscating money earned through harmful activity are all necessary steps to protect men and boys online.
Strathern emphasizes that the goal is not to achieve equity for its own sake, but rather to recognize that violence against women and girls cannot be tackled without also addressing the specific harms faced by men and boys. He says that these harms are not just done to men and boys, but also impact the women and girls in their lives, and that everyone loses out as a result of the failure to protect men and boys from online risks.
A Call to Action
The letter to Dawes highlights the disproportionate risk of specific harms faced by men and boys, including far-right political radicalization, crypto scams, and violent pornography. While men and boys are exposed to harmful content at a similar rate to women and girls, the content targeted at a male audience is likely to be different, and platforms may need to take different steps to understand and tackle the problem.
Strathern says that Ofcom needs to step up and take the issue of gendered online harms seriously. He argues that when there is clear evidence of the gendered aspects of harms affecting boys and men, as well as women and girls, Ofcom has a responsibility to act. An Ofcom spokesperson notes that protections in place under the Online Safety Act are designed to benefit anyone experiencing online abuse, and that the organization's codes require services to protect users from being exposed to pornographic, hateful, and abusive content.
As the online landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that policymakers and regulators prioritize the protection of all individuals, regardless of gender. By acknowledging the specific harms faced by men and boys online, we can work towards creating a safer and more equitable online environment for everyone.
