Ofcom is trying to walk a tightrope between online safety and freedom of speech. It is also dealing with US-based tech giants which own the UK’s most popular social networks.
US Vice President JD Vance said earlier this year that the White House was growing tired of other countries trying to regulate American tech businesses.
Ms Kendall wrote to Ofcom recently saying it was in danger of “losing the public’s trust” if the pace of change didn’t pick up, and campaigners like the Molly Rose Foundation say the laws do not go far enough to protect people from online harm.
Chris Boardman, former pro-cyclist and chair of Sport England, complained to Ofcom in the summer about the treatment of women in sport online.
During last year’s Euro Championships, Lioness footballer Jess Carter was forced off social media because of online racial abuse.
Tennis star Katie Boulter, who received death threats following the French Open, also said abusive comments had become “the norm”.
In his letter, Mr Boardman said sexist online abuse of athletes counteracted efforts to encourage more women to take up sport.
“The action can be taken,” he told the BBC, “you’ve got AI [and] algorithms now that are ruthlessly targeting marketing to increase participation and profit”.
“We now need to use those same tools to curb the abuse in the first place rather than having to work with dealing with it after the fact,” he said.
