7 min read
Explained
Last updated:
18 Dec 2025
Ofcom consultation on Online Safety for Women and Girls
TL:DR;
Ofcom has published draft guidance on how to meet your Online Safety Act obligations when it comes to the safety of women and girls, and they want your thoughts by 23rd May 2025.
Here's our overview of the guidance and how it might affect the video games industry. If you enjoy this article and want deeper analysis, tailored advice and support, or help writing a response or strategy, then get in touch – we’d be happy to discuss how Flux Digital Policy’s expertise can meet your needs. Even if you’re just curious about it all, we'd love to chat.
For each action, the guidance sets out ‘foundational’ steps that companies can take, which give practical details on expectations that have already been set out through risk assessment guidance and the Codes of Practice on illegal content and protecting children. It also provides ‘good practice’ steps, which show how services can go above and beyond to further enhance the safety of women and girls on their platforms.
For example, Action 2 (risk assessments) explains that companies are already required to conduct risk assessments in relation to illegal and harmful content, which includes content and activities disproportionately affecting women and girls. The 'foundational’ steps give examples of how providers can ensure that such content is adequately considered, such as assessing a user base to understand what gender-based harms are likely to be more prevalent. The ‘good practice’ steps explain how this can be enhanced by using external assessors with specific expertise, engaging with victims, and surveying users, to understand more deeply how a service might carry specific risks for women and girls.
In early 2027, Ofcom intends to publish an assessment of how providers are keeping women and girls safe on their services, which will include a view on how providers are using the guidance. Although Ofcom strongly encourages companies to take ‘good practice’ steps wherever they can, there are no specific obligations on companies to do so. However, it's pretty likely that they will take a dim view of providers (especially the largest companies) who are able to take the ‘good practice’ steps but decide not to.
What's the consultation for?
Ofcom is asking all interested parties for their feedback on the guidance, including whether they have taken the right approach, and for further examples of good practice.
They are not asking for feedback on the ‘foundational’ steps, as these are based on parts of the Codes of Practice and other pieces of guidance that have already been the subject of their own consultation process.
How can Flux help me?
Tech regulation is undergoing big changes, which means that many companies are finding for the first time that they want to take part in the process or that they need to up their current engagement. The sheer variety of business models and services in the video games industry means that it’s really important for all voices to be heard, from the biggest to the smallest and from mobile, to console and desktop.
Regardless of your size, reach or platform, Flux can help you understand what changes are happening, how the process works, and what it means for you in practice. We can work with you to prepare a response to consultations like this, and we can look at what else might be coming down the track.
If you already have an embedded public policy strategy or team, but you want additional support on this (or any other) issue, then we can help with that too. Our team has experience leading on sector-wide policy campaigns and individual public affairs strategies, so let us know what you need and we’ll take it from there.
Author: Dr Celia Pontin, Director of Public Policy and Public Affairs