As the UN Secretary-General observed in 2023, the crisis of information integrity on digital platforms cannot be addressed without effectively tackling the role of platforms in spreading “gender-based hate speech and disinformation that seek to systematically subjugate women by silencing them and pushing them out of the public sphere.” The global dialogue on online gendered disinformation that UNESCO convened in January 2023 revealed the urgent need for governments and technology companies to deliver on their responsibilities to protect women’s and girls' human rights online.
Unfortunately, given the normalization of everyday sexism in a patriarchal society, policy responses to countering digital threats to democracy tend to sidestep the question of gender. This policy brief seeks to contribute to the digital transformation agenda of G20 2024 with a concrete action plan for regulating social media that creates a safer and more equitable experience for women and girls.
This centers on two contributions:
• Making a case for legal recognition of gendered disinformation and gender-based hate speech
based on a clear and common understanding of their key characteristics.
• Identifying the key components of a model platform regulation framework, including techno-design changes, to address the weaponization of misogyny, incitement of violence, and gendered disinformation.
The brief is informed by a legal and policy review of regulatory approaches in India, Brazil, and the
EU since these jurisdictions share democratic values and a strong commitment to building a rights-based cyberspace.
Read the complete policy brief here.