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<p>The Online Safety Bill contains robust protections for women, girls and disabled
people online, who face disproportionate volumes of abuse.</p><p>All services in scope
will need to put in place proportionate systems and processes to minimise the risk
of priority illegal content appearing on their service and to swiftly remove it when
it does appear. This will protect all online users, including from content which could
constitute hate speech under the Public Order Act 1986. This includes behaviours that
are threatening and abusive and result in harassment, alarm or distress. The list
of priority offences includes a number of offences which disproportionately afffect
women and girls, such as revenge pornography and cyberstalking, which companies must
tackle.</p><p>Beyond the priority offences, all services will need to ensure that
they have quickly taken down other illegal content directed at women and girls and
disabled people once it has been reported or they become aware of its presence. Women,
girls and disabled users will also be able to report abuse, and should expect to receive
an appropriate response from the platform. Ofcom will also have a duty to consider
the vulnerability of users whose circumstances appear to put them in need of special
protection when performing its duties.</p><p>If major platforms don’t fulfil their
own standards to keep people safe, they could face an investigation and enforcement
action.</p><p> </p>
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