MPs examine calls for draft legislation to make online abuse of women and girls a legal offence

• Parliament TV: watch the session live
• Inquiry: Online safety and online harms
• Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Sub-Committee on Online Harms and Disinformation

Purpose of the session

In its current form, the Bill does not explicitly name violence against women and girls. A number of submissions to the inquiry, including that of the domestic violence charity Refuge, have called for robust protection to be included. The Sub-Committee will hear from reporter Marianna Spring about her investigations into misogynistic abuse online and the experiences of women in the public eye.

This session will also consider the extent to which the Draft Bill delivers on promises to provide greater protections for children such as age verification, one of the Government’s primary aims for the online safety regime.

Witnesses

Panel 1 (from 10.00)

• Andy Burrows, Head, Child Safety Online Policy, NSPCC, children’s charity
• Susie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive, Internet Watch Foundation

Panel 2 (from approx. 11.00)

• Seyi Akiwowo, founder and director, Glitch, charity working to end online abuse
• Rt Hon Maria Miller MP, Vice-Chair of the APPG on Digital Regulation & Responsibility and APPG on Social Media
• Cordelia Tucker O’Sullivan, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Refuge, domestic abuse charity
• Marianna Spring, specialist disinformation and social media reporter, BBC

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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