How online misogyny escalates into tech-facilitated gender-based violence and extremism

Equality Now calls on governments and technology companies to address online misogyny and the systems and incentives that enable it to spread, while ensuring that everyone can exercise their rights safely in digital spaces.

• Strengthen platform accountability: Governments should legislate for greater accountability from technology companies and platforms for the harms enabled and amplified through their services.
• Make safety central to platform design: Technology companies should adopt safety-by-design approaches and address the algorithms, systems and incentives that drive the circulation and mainstreaming of misogynistic content.
• Invest in survivor-centred remedies: Responses to online misogyny and technology-facilitated gender-based violence should provide effective, survivor-centred remedies for those experiencing harm.
• Develop consistent global standards: Governments should work multilaterally to establish consistent standards and mechanisms that protect human rights and address online misogyny and related digital harms across borders.
• Address misogyny as a connected human rights issue: Responses should recognise the links between online misogyny, gender-based violence, radicalisation, extremism and threats to democratic participation rather than addressing these harms in isolation.