Labour MPs Urge Ofcom to Protect Men and Boys from Harmful 'Manosphere' Influencers

More than 60 Labour MPs have called on Ofcom to take action against 'manosphere' influencers who target men and boys with harmful content, including gambling, sextortion, and violent pornography.

The MPs argue that men and boys need protection from these influencers, who exploit young men by 'peddling lies, falsehoods and hate'. According to the Gambling Commission, 53% of 11- to 17-year-old boys see gambling adverts online each week, compared with 31% of their female peers.

The Online Safety Act has forced Ofcom to give tech platforms guidance on tackling 'harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls', but MPs argue that men and boys are also targeted in specific ways. 91% of sextortion victims are male, according to the Internet Watch Foundation.

Alistair Strathern, the MP for Hitchin and a co-chair of the Labour group for men and boys, said the Louis Theroux documentary Inside the Manosphere was 'another reminder of a particular way some of the worst of the internet can prey on young men and boys'. He emphasized that protecting men and boys is crucial to tackling violence against women and girls.

An Ofcom spokesperson said protections in place under the Online Safety Act were designed to benefit anyone experiencing online abuse, and that their guidance encourages tech companies to use educational and preventive approaches to reduce online abuse.