Cyberbullying, revenge porn, and threats - for many women, experiencing online abuse can feel relentless and terrifying. We are working alongside the cross-party campaign founded by Yvette Cooper MP Reclaim the Internet to put a stop to it. Here's how you can help. 

Ask Twitter to respond to our open letter

It doesn't belong in the real world, and it doesn't belong online. Yet hate speech is running rampant on social media platforms like Twitter, and our research shows nothing is being done to stop it. Will you campaign with us to change this?

In August 2017, we joined forces with Reclaim The Internet to report a series of vile tweets to Twitter. They included rape threats, abusive images of women, and racist attacks on public figures. Seven days later none had been taken down. 

After being publicly challenged in a letter from our Chief Executive Sam Smethers and Yvette Cooper MP today, Twitter removed some of those posts. This appears to be recognition that they breach their community standards. But why did they fail to do that when they were reported privately?

Social media platforms can be great tools for spreading solidarity, and opening up political debate. But the truth is they still ignore far too much misogyny, racism, harassment and abuse online. Their complaints system isn't working. They still turn a blind eye to vile abuse - and they are still providing a platform for hatred. 

Help us change this by asking Twitter to respond to our six key questions below:

• What is the average time taken to investigate a report and take down tweets?
• Do you accept that the examples shown violate Twitter’s community standards and should be removed? If so, why have they not been removed, and, if not, how do you justify giving them a platform?
• What action is being taken to speed up the process of removals? When do you anticipate being able to act on a user report within 24 hours?
• How many staff do you have actively looking for this kind of abusive content and taking the necessary action?
• What progress has been made to prevent people becoming victims of ‘dog-piling’?
• Will you provide more detail on your policy for removal of tweets or suspension of accounts, so we can more fully understand why the Unite The Right posts were not removed.

Urge Twitter to respond by tweeting this: No more online abuse. @Twitter will you answer key questions set out by @fawcettsociety @InternetReclaim today? : https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/news/twitter-failing-women-experiencing-online-threats-harassment 

Take our survey

We've set up a survey to hear from women over 16 who have experienced sexist online harassment. We'll use the results to work with police, the Government, and social media platforms on effective ways to address online harassment.

Help us campaign for change. Add your voice now!

Learn about online harassment

Our Sounds Familiar report called for social media platforms to develop technological solutions to address online misogyny and harassment.

Girlguiding reports that 49% of girls aged 11-21 say fear of abuse online makes them feel less able to share their views, and 50% of girls aged 11-21 think that sexism is worse online than offline.

This report by Tell MAMA revealed that Muslim women are being disproportionately targeted with abuse online.

Start a conversation online

Our Reclaim the Internet survey puts forward some suggestions for tackling online abuse:

• Stop people who have been banned in the past from setting up new accounts
• Block abusive accounts so their posts can only be seen by their own followers
• Require users to use their real name or identity for their accounts
• Add a ‘panic button’ if users are experiencing abuse from a number of accounts
• Use an algorithm to identify accounts or profiles which are likely to be abusive, so moderators can remove them
• Cover up potentially offensive images or posts

Tell us what you think on social media, using the hashtag #ReclaimTheInternet – what should be done to stop online harassment?