Sharon Hodgson MP: Tech companies must act to help reduce violence against women

What matters therefore is the action taken to reduce violence against women and girls practically – and that is what we should be judged by.

While measuring a reduction in VAWG is subjective, one undeniable contributing factor must be how we pursue perpetrators and those that enable them. If we agree that a deterrent is vital when considering how to reduce crime, then we must agree that driving up conviction rates for perpetrators and holding enablers accountable is an effective course of action.

I am therefore proud that this Labour government have announced that they are putting tech companies on notice. Tech firms will now have 48 hours to remove any intimate image that is posted on social media without consent from when it is first reported. A failure to do so within this time frame will result in a fine of up to 10% of their global revenue or having their services blocked in the UK.

This is absolutely right – it should not be up to the victims of these heinous intimate-image abuse crimes to relentlessly pursue the tech companies until they remove the content – if they remove it at all. I am glad that this Labour government have said loud and clear that no one is immune from the law and no one is free from our relentless pursuit of perpetrators. This is a great step in restoring the confidence that victims have that when they report something, they will be heard. Victims of intimate-image abuse should now have to report abuse once, and will be assured that it will swiftly be removed and automatically removed again if it is ever re-uploaded.

This is the absolute bare minimum that should be expected of tech companies, and I want my constituents to feel confident that should they ever fall victim to sexual violence – no matter in what form – that justice will be served, and fast. I want them to know that it is not on them to tirelessly fight for justice and that speaking out once is enough. I believe that the passing of this law will be a vital step in the right direction in building this kind of society.

While the increase of VAWG is a devastating fact in and of itself, what is most challenging is the way that the threats against women and girls have evolved.

Advancements in technology such as AI and social media allowing people to conceal their identity have meant that the nature of violence against women and girls have become much more complex and untraceable.

This provides perpetrators with a false sense of immunity – a confidence for them to speak and act in ways that they perhaps would not if not behind a screen and perhaps a belief that nothing will be done about it if it is online. We say – no more.

As the world becomes not only more dangerous but more technologically advanced, it is incumbent on us as a government to respond with the right legislation that can match these challenges. With the goal always remaining constant: to protect victims of sexual and physical violence and ensure that their trust that justice will always be served remains unwavered.