Social media platforms, messaging apps and gaming platforms are failing to protect girls at every stage, according to new research from NSPCC.
Social media platforms, messaging apps and gaming platforms are failing to protect girls at every stage, according to new research from NSPCC.
They’ve worked with PA Consulting to conduct a new report, Targeting of Girls Online, which identified a wide range of risks girls face across ten popular online platforms including grooming, harassment and abuse.
As part of the research, fake profiles of a teenage girl were created on these sites.
The report found that the detailed nature of the profiles made it too easy for adult strangers to pick out girls and send uninvited messages to their accounts.
Findings also showed how many of the features and functionalities used by tech companies encourage young girls to increase their online networks and online activity – often reducing their own safety.
NSPCC is urging Ofcom to address the significant gaps in its Illegal Harms Codes which fail to take into account specific risks which would be reduced by solutions found in the report.
The YouGov polling of 3,593 adults from across Great Britain found that most respondents (86%) believe tech companies are doing too little to protect girls under the age of 18 on their platforms.
The survey also polled parents with daughters who listed contact from strangers (41%), online grooming (40%), bullying from other children (37%) and sexual abuse or harassment (36%) as their top four concerns related to their child’s experience online.
Around half of the parents surveyed (52%) expressed concern over their daughter’s online experiences.
The Targeting of Girls Online report looked at features and design choices of these platforms which expose girls to harm online – including abuse, harassment and exploitation from strangers.