For women in UK politics, facing online hate and abuse is a “constant,” “daily part of life” that is “getting worse,” according to a stark new report from communications regulator Ofcom, based on first-hand accounts from current and former female MPs.

The abuse, often deeply misogynistic and including rape and death threats, forces politicians into extreme security measures, damages their mental health, and deters women from entering public life, the research finds.

New research from Ofcom involved 23 politicians. Those they spoke to told the regulator how online hate and abuse is constant and impacts how they go about their daily lives, do their jobs and express themselves online.

Being online gives politicians space to share their messages, connect with constituents, and engage with political issues. Yet many of the women Ofcom spoke to believe online abuse deters some women from getting into politics altogether. And some said it had been a factor in them, and others they know, withdrawing from political life.

A depressingly common part of daily life

Ofcom engaged with 23 serving and former female MPs, including 7 in-depth interviews. Every participant described online abuse as relentless and pervasive, frequently triggered by routine aspects of their job – media appearances, vocal stances on issues, campaigning, or parliamentary votes.

“It’s just a daily part of life. It is something that happens every single day, almost without fail. And yeah, it’s constant,” one MP stated.

The abuse is often rooted in misogyny, with an underlying gendered tone that frequently escalates to rape and death threats. Personal attacks targeting appearance, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, and disability are widespread.

“I also get lots of comments about my appearance, which are quite—they’re upsetting, honestly, they really are,” one participant shared. Another described being “regularly accused of sleeping with various people to have got my job.”

Real-World Terror and Safety Lockdown

The online vitriol translates into genuine fear for personal safety, profoundly altering how MPs live and work. Participants cited the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess as chilling reference points, making online threats feel terrifyingly real. “They start to make you feel scared in the street in your constituency,” one MP reported.

Security measures have become essential. MPs described installing home CCTV, requiring protection at public surgeries, altering travel routes, avoiding pre-posting locations, and even cancelling events on police advice. “I now don’t go to events by myself,” said one.

The impact extends beyond MPs themselves. Abuse affects their families and staff, with loved ones often seeing the hate and feeling its emotional toll. Staff not only fear for their own safety but also carry the burden of monitoring and managing abusive content. “My mum saw it… she was just like, how do you think this makes me feel?” recounted one MP, reflecting on the personal cost of the hostility.

Profound Personal and Professional Toll
The constant barrage inflicts severe emotional and psychological damage, impacting democracy itself:

MPs described the toll on their mental health, citing self-doubt, eroded confidence, anxiety, fear, and a sense of isolation. Many spoke of feeling like they had “no safe space.” As one put it, “The thing that’s horrible about it is they can get to you even when you’re in your safe space.”

The impact on careers is equally stark. Many MPs have altered how they engage online—limiting posts, muting accounts, or leaving platforms altogether—hindering meaningful interaction with constituents. “I’ve largely stopped using [platform], as a result of the abuse I receive,” one said. The abuse not only pushes some MPs to leave their roles—”I left the House of Commons… one [reason] was the levels of abuse,” said a former MP—but also deters women from entering politics in the first place. Family concerns often amplify the pressure. “When I was talking about standing… my [family] were just like, could you please not do that?”

This has broader consequences. Participants warned that the steady loss of talented women from public life threatens democratic representation itself. “It does have a real-world impact… on democracy,” one MP cautioned.

Platform Failures and Inadequate Tools
MPs expressed deep frustration with social media platforms, finding existing safety tools ineffective and reporting systems failing:

• Reporting Futility: Attempts to report blatant hate, abuse, and threats often yielded automated responses claiming “no rules broken,” even for explicit death threats. “I reported… an explicit death threat… [the platform] said no, this doesn’t break our policies,” shared an MP. Getting action sometimes required leveraging political status to reach senior platform staff.

• Tool Limitations: Blocking and muting were known but seen as double-edged swords – blocking might hide safety threats, muting words risks missing important constituency issues. Turning off comments or limiting interactions contradicted the need for public engagement. Sensitivity screens and hidden word tools were poorly understood or deemed ineffective. “The tools that exist today… do not go far enough,” the report summarises.

• Platform Design Criticised: Features like user-generated lists (enabling “pile-on” harassment) and algorithms promoting polarising content were seen as exacerbating abuse. “The algorithmic nature of it… polarises… it just drags people towards extremes,” argued one participant.

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Ofcom’s Role and the Path Forward
As the UK’s online safety regulator empowered by the Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom is developing Codes of Practice to hold platforms accountable for illegal harms and protect children. Crucially, the regulator is also focusing on harmful but not illegal abuse:

• Draft Guidance for Women and Girls: Ofcom has proposed specific measures for platforms to tackle abuse disproportionately affecting women and girls, including “pile-on harassment” often targeting women in public life. This guidance will be finalised by end-2025.

• User Empowerment Duties: Larger “Category 1” platforms will be required to offer adults tools to reduce exposure to certain hateful/abusive content. Ofcom must produce a Code of Practice for these duties.

• Learning from Lived Experience: Ofcom states these findings, alongside evidence from similar research in sports, will inform its policy development and regulation. “We will continue to learn directly from groups with lived experience,” the regulator pledged.

A Call for Change
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Morgan of Cotes, a participant in the research, emphasised the urgency: “Having a visible online presence is non-optional… But too often… the volume and type of abuse not only negatively affect conduct online, but set unwanted boundaries in the physical world too, which male counterparts don’t have to contend with.”

She concluded: “Thanks to this report… the problem is clear – now we need to see real change to ensure that we build a safer life online for women and girls.”