We are working with our expert partners, the Online Safety Act Network, Elect Her, Demos, the Jo Cox Foundation, Full Fact and CCDH to tackle online harms and disinformation during election periods.

We have produced a joint draft Election Code to improve online safety for political candidates.

Online harms, AI generated images, and misogynistic abuse have increased at alarming rates over the last decade. We know these harms disproportionally affect women and candidates from minoritised backgrounds.

We must step up efforts to tackle disinformation, abuse of female candidates, and AI generated harms. This draft Elections Code sets out the standards and protections necessary to tackle online harms during elections and in public life. This is about the safety and dignity of female candidates, ensuring women are able to participate in politics and campaigning.

In the 2024 General Election, we saw more female candidates and then more female MPs elected than in any other Parliament. But we cannot presume progress will continue. The way abuse and harm are manifesting online is changing at a far greater pace than legalisation.

We will work with our partners to increase pressure on government to embed the protections set out in the draft Code, to protect our democracy and ensure every female candidate can engage safely online. 

Read the draft Code