Endless Online Abuse: A Woman Shares Her Constant Struggle With Trolls
Miah Carter has been sharing her experiences of enduring online abuse. Navigating through the comments section of her social media posts can be an emotionally tumultuous journey for Miah, a 21-year-old influencer with over three million followers on TikTok. Her content revolves around makeup tutorials, body positivity messages, and lip-sync videos, yet this visibility has come at the price of constant harassment.
Miah expressed her frustrations to BBC Radio 5 Live when she described receiving abusive comments “every second, every day.” She characterized the trolling as particularly disgusting. At that time, Ofcom had launched new draft guidance aimed at improving women and girls’ online experiences.
Dame Melanie Dawes, CEO of Ofcom, stated in an interview with Radio 5 Live that the newly released guidelines could serve as a comprehensive blueprint for protecting women and girls if tech companies adopt them. The broadcasting watchdog’s recommendations spanned measures to combat misogyny online as well as steps designed to address intimate image abuse.
However, Samantha Miller from the National Police Chiefs’ Council expressed skepticism about relying solely on law enforcement. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, she argued that tech companies must do more to tackle harmful content. She contended that while police have a role in investigating serious crimes online, they are not equipped to monitor and manage every instance of abuse.
Ofcom’s guidance includes recommendations such as “abusability” testing for services or features, which would identify potential loopholes through which abusers could exploit the platform. Other suggestions involve user prompts to reconsider posts before posting harmful content, enhanced account controls, default removal of geolocation data, and training moderation teams on recognizing signs of online domestic abuse.
While Miah expressed some hope that these guidelines might bring about change if tech companies chose to follow them, she stressed the need for stricter enforcement. “Right now,” she said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, “reporting hate often leads nowhere – there needs to be stricter enforcement and actual consequences for harmful behavior.”
Not all experts share Miah’s optimism. Prof Clare McGlynn, who specializes in sexual violence, online abuse, and the legal regulation of pornography, pointed out that Ofcom’s guidelines have no binding power. “Experience shows,” she said during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, “that tech platforms do the absolute minimum necessary to comply with the law and little more.” She advocated for stronger regulations and a dedicated Online Safety Commission.
In response to these concerns, social media companies have released statements emphasizing their efforts to combat online harassment. For instance, Meta (which owns Instagram and Facebook) stated in a press release that they remove any language inciting or facilitating serious violence, disable accounts suspected of being used for abuse, and collaborate with law enforcement when there is a genuine risk of physical harm.
As the debate over women’s safety online continues to gain momentum, discussions like those taking place on BBC Radio 5 Live are crucial in shaping public awareness and prompting tech companies to take more proactive steps. The future of internet safety may hinge not only on legislative actions but also on how effectively these recommendations can be implemented by social media platforms.
