More than sixty Labour MPs have called upon the communications regulator Ofcom to take urgent action to protect men and boys from predatory “manosphere” influencers and the specific online harms they promote, arguing that current safeguards are insufficient.
In a letter to Ofcom’s chief executive, Melanie Dawes, the MPs urge the regulator to provide explicit guidance to tech platforms on mitigating risks that disproportionately target males. This demand highlights a perceived gap in the implementation of the Online Safety Act, which mandates Ofcom to issue guidance on protecting women and girls but does not explicitly require the same for harms targeting men and boys.
Call for Specific Guidance
The push is being led by Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin and co-chair of the Labour group for men and boys. He stressed the initiative was not about “equity for the sake of it,” but about addressing a clear threat. “When there is clear evidence around the gendered aspects of harms affecting boys and men, as well as women and girls, and their job is to keep all of us safe on the internet, we think there’s a gap that they need to step up and act on,” Strathern said.
Nick Isles, director of the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, which has also contacted Ofcom, echoed the call. He referenced the Louis Theroux documentary ‘Inside the Manosphere’ as a stark revelation of how influencers exploit young men “by peddling lies, falsehoods and hate.” Isles argued for using existing laws to prosecute hate speech and for new measures to confiscate money earned from harmful activity.
The Spectrum of Online Harms
The MPs’ letter details a range of specific dangers, asserting that men and boys are at “disproportionate risk” of harms including far-right political radicalisation, crypto scams, and exposure to violent pornography through popular creators.
Statistical evidence underscores the scale of the issue. The Gambling Commission reports that 53% of 11- to 17-year-old boys see gambling adverts online each week, compared with 31% of girls, with social media and apps being the primary vectors. On sextortion, the Internet Watch Foundation states that 91% of victims are male, with teenage boys being deliberately targeted. Their data shows an eightfold increase in cases in 2023, with boys making up 97% of confirmed reports in one sample, and children as young as 11-13 reporting the crime for the first time.
The “manosphere” itself is identified as a key conduit for these harms. Described as a loose network of anti-feminist online communities, it promotes male dominance and hostility towards women and is seen as a gateway to reactionary politics. Experts note that far-right extremists increasingly use gaming platforms and social media to radicalise young men, with the manosphere’s rhetoric serving as a fertile recruiting ground. Similarly, crypto scams, often intertwined with romance frauds, are cited as a growing financial threat.
Exposure to violent pornography presents another documented risk. Research suggests a link between consumption of such material and increased aggression and sexual violence perpetration, particularly among young men, with the easy accessibility and anonymity of online platforms heightening the danger.
Strathern emphasized the interconnected nature of these harms, noting they impact wider society. “These harms are not just done to men and boys,” he said. “This is a harm that impacts the women and girls in their life too. We are all losing out as a result of the failure to protect men and boys from some of the risks they face in the online world.” He argued that effectively tackling violence against women and girls required addressing the specific harms faced by men and boys as “another aspect of the same problems.”
Ofcom’s Response
In response, an Ofcom spokesperson stated that protections under the Online Safety Act were designed to benefit anyone experiencing online abuse. “We also know that exposure to harmful online content can negatively affect boys, which is why our codes require services to protect them from being exposed to pornographic, hateful and abusive content,” they said. “Our guidance encourages tech companies to use educational and preventive approaches that help reduce online abuse.”
Ofcom has already issued final guidance focusing on harms disproportionately affecting women and girls, covering misogynistic abuse, sexual violence, and image-based sexual abuse. The regulator’s stance implies that its existing framework offers broad protection, but the MPs’ letter challenges it to provide targeted, specific guidance acknowledging the distinct ways in which men and boys are exploited online.
