Improved online safety for candidates during elections: a code of practice

Today we are launching our Elections Code of Practice in collaboration with Demos, The Jo Cox Foundation, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), Elect Her, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Fawcett Society, Full Fact and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

Online protections for those taking part in democratic life are long overdue. Over the past decade a growing body of evidence has shown how online abuse and disinformation, particularly targeting women and minoritised communities, is harming democratic participation and leading to elected representatives choosing to stand down, or prospective candidates deciding not to stand at all. The Speaker’s Conference and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) have both highlighted the role of online platforms in enabling these harms. Following the 2024 General Election, PACAC explicitly called for Ofcom, working with the Electoral Commission, to set out a clear timetable for addressing online abuse and intimidation during elections.

These harms are not new, but they are persistent and worsening with the rapid development of AI technologies such as deepfakes. Online abuse has become a daily reality for many MPs and candidates, with elections identified as especially high-risk periods. The consequences for democratic participation are profound. Studies by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Amnesty International, the Fawcett Society and others demonstrate how online abuse can silence voices, disproportionately affecting women and people from minoritised backgrounds. This erosion of participation disrupts the democratic process and skews political debate towards more dominant and entrenched views.

Despite widespread recognition of the issue, tech platforms have allowed abuse to flourish unchecked and regulatory action has lagged behind. The Electoral Commission has repeatedly warned that online abuse of candidates is increasing, and has urged stronger action from both platforms and Ofcom under the Online Safety Act (OSA). In their recent report, following evidence submitted by the Online Safety Act Network, the Speaker’s Conference called for the Government to require Ofcom to produce an Elections Code of Practice to force tech platforms to take action.

We have now written such a Code, and its launch marks a decisive step towards addressing these failures, setting out clear expectations on platforms for protecting electoral candidates online. We urge the Government to use the forthcoming Elections Bill to amend the OSA and embed these protections into law to safeguard democratic participation for everyone.