Open Letter to the CEOs of Facebook, Google, TikTok and Twitter

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google Shou Zi Chew, CEO, TikTok Jack Dorsey, CEO, Twitter

We write to you to ask that you urgently prioritise the safety of women on your platforms.

Today at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, world leaders come together to agree on a plan to advance women’s rights — the most important gathering of its kind in 25 years. This is a historic opportunity for you, the CEOs of some of the world’s most powerful tech platforms, to tackle one of the biggest barriers to gender equality: the pandemic of online abuse against women and girls.

The commitments you make today should be seen as a promise to women and girls around the world that you will decisively deal with the abuse that they are subject to on your plat- forms.

The scale of the problem is huge: 38% of women globally have directly experienced online abuse. This figure rises to 45% for Gen Zs and Millennials. For women of colour, for Black women in particular, for women from the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups — the abuse is often far worse. The consequences can be devastating.

The internet is the town square of the 21st century. It is where debate takes place, commu- nities are built, products are sold and reputations are made. But the scale of online abuse means that, for too many women, these digital town squares are unsafe. This is a threat to progress on gender equality.

A huge volume of this abuse takes place on social media platforms — and its reach is global. Your decisions shape the way billions of people experience life online. With your incredible financial resources and engineering might, you have the unique capability and responsibility to ensure your platforms prevent, rather than fuel, this abuse.

No quick-fix will cure the problem, but there are many avenues to make significant progress. For over a year, you have engaged with civil society and government experts from over 35 countries to tackle online abuse. This has been an important step forward, demonstrating the power of co-creating solutions informed by a wide range of partners, including women who have directly experienced abuse.

Now it is vital to put into action two priorities women have said are critical for their safety — more control of their experiences on your platforms, and better reporting systems: Give people greater control to manage their safety. Rather than a one-size-fits-all experi- ence, women should have more control over who can interact with them on tech platforms, as well as more choice over what, when and how they see content online. These tools should be easy to find and simple to use.

Improve your systems for reporting abuse. Current tools need to be improved so women can easily report abuse and track the progress of these reports. For example, dashboards that show users the status of all their reports in one place, features to guide them through the reporting process, and tools that offer women access to additional support when it’s needed, could make a huge difference.

Commitments you make today to address these two areas are a positive and necessary step. How you take these forward also matters. As you work towards these goals, we’ll be watching: we will recognise when you make progress and hold you to account when you don’t. Your progress against these commitments will be tracked annually.

Imagine what you can achieve if you follow through on commitments to build safer platforms: an online world where a journalist can engage with feedback on her reporting, not assas- sinations of her character. Where a politician may read complaints about her policies, but not threats of rape and murder. Where a young woman can share what she wants to on her terms, knowing there are systems to keep her safe and hold harassers accountable.

If you build this better internet for women, you will build a better internet for everyone. You have the way. Now show the world that you also have the will.

Signed,

Diane Abbott Salmana Ahmed Seyi Akiwowo Member of Parliament, UK House Luminate Founder & Executive Director, Glitch of Commons

Betty Achana Nidzara Ahmetasevic Rhonda Alexander Executive Secretary, National Union Journalist & researcher Board Member, Ethical Social Group Of Women with Disabilities Of and CEO, Fluttr Uganda (NUWODU)

Lillian Achom Hilda Ajeilat Shahira Amin Director and Founder, AccessPlus Co-founder, Jordan Transparency Al Monitor Correspondent (Egypt) Center Rebecca Amsellem Tupou’tuah Baravilala Kristina Blahnik Feminist activist, economist and Permanent Secretary to ICT Chief Executive Officer, Manolo founder of feminist newsletter Les Minister, Fiji Blahnik Glorieuses

Fleur Anderson Laura Bates Marcia Blenko Member of Parliament, UK House Founder, Everyday Sexism Project Board Member, World Wide Web of Commons Foundation

Gillian Anderson OBE Tatiana Bazzichelli Donna Lee Bowen Actor and activist Founder & Artistic Director, Professor Emerita of Political Disruption Network Lab Science and Middle East Studies, Brigham Young University

Dr Carolina Are Wafa Ben-Hassine Dr Nechama Brodie Online moderation researcher, Human Rights Lawyer Writer and academic activist and blogger

Htaike Htaike Aung Jacqui Berrell Edith Brou Executive Director, Myanmar ICT for Owner and Manager, Inform Public Activist & Blogger Development Relations

Arda Awais Amanda Berry OBE Alison Brysk Co-creator, Identity 2.0 CEO, BAFTA Distinguished Mellichamp Professor of Global Governance at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Michelle Bachelet Jeria Lauren Beukes Julie Burton United Nations High Commissioner Author President and CEO, Women’s Media for Human Rights Center

Godha Bapuji R Vaishno Bharati Winnie Byanyima Founder, Strategy and Mission Project Associate, IT for Change Executive Director, UNAIDS Director, Cyber, Human and International Security, Women in Crisis (WiCR) Elena Calistru Asma Cherfi Catherine D’Ignazio President and Co-founder, Funky CEO, African Leader Nexus Assistant Professor of Urban Citizens Science & Planning Director, Data + Feminism Lab, Department of Urban Studies & Planning, MIT

Kemly Camacho Amrita Chowdhury Amali de Alwis MBE General Coordinator, Cooeprativa Director, CCAOI Tech and Startups Sulá Batsú

Mary Caprioli Helen Clark Sagra Maceira de Rosen Associate professor of political Former Prime Minister of New Managing Director, SIO Global, science, University of Minnesota— Zealand and former UNDP Co-Chair Vital Voices Europe Duluth, Head of the Department of Administrator Political Science and Director of the International Relations Program

Sopheap Chak Lily Cole Andrea den Boer Executive Director, Cambodian Actor, model, social entrepreneur Lecturer in international politics, Centre for Human Rights University of Kent

Nandini Chami Sasha Costanza-Chock Bhagyashri Dengle Deputy Director, IT for Change Faculty Associate, Berkman-Klein Executive Director Asia-Pacific Center for Internet & Society at Region, Plan International Harvard University

Gemma Chan Nicola Coughlan Jessica Dheere Actor Actor Director, Ranking Digital Rights

Maggie Chapman Bea Covington Marisa Drew Member of the Scottish Parliament Global Partnership Director, Chief Sustainability Officer, Credit AMPLIO Suisse

Soraya Chemaly Lana Cuthbertson Anne Dunn-Baleilevuka Executive Director, Women’s Media CEO & Founder, Areto Labs Commissioner for the Online Safety Center Speech Project Commission, Fiji Sarah Elago Mei Lin Fung Julie Inman Grant Activist, youth sector Chairman of the Board, co-founder Australian eSafety Commissioner representative, and Philippine with Vint Cerf, People Centered lawmaker Internet

Monica Emiru Pam Garside Anita Gurumurthy Executive Director, National Partner at Newhealth; Fellow of the Executive Director, IT for Change Association of Women’s Judge Business School, University of Organizations in Uganda (NAWOU) Cambridge

Alice Eve Anja Gengo Ferial Haffajee Actor Executive Officer, Internet Editor and journalist Governance Secretariat

Paloma Faith Arzu Geybulla Professor Dame Wendy Hall Music Artist Journalist, Azerbaijan Internet University of Southampton Watch

Rebecca Firth Julia Gillard Swee Leng Harris Director, Transformation and 27th Prime Minister of Australia, Luminate Community, Humanitarian Chair, Global Institute for Women’s OpenStreetMap Team Leadership

Melissa Fleming Tabitha Goldstaub Yasmeen Hassan United Nations Under-Secretary- Co-founder, CogX and Chair, UK Global Executive Director, Equality General for Global Communications Gov AI Council Now

Deborah Frances-White Miriam González Caroline Haworth Comedian and activist Co-Founder, GeoChicas Chief Executive, Womankind Worldwide

Paula Fray Dorothy Gordon Leila Hessini Journalist, media trainer, and CEO, Chair, Information for All Vice President, Global Fund for frayintermedia Programme, UNESCO Women Laura SL Herman Céline Jacquin Sonia Jorge Global Gender Equity Practice, Co-Founder, GeoChicas Executive Director, Alliance for Dalberg Affordable Internet

Marianne Diaz Hernández Fatou Jagne Ashley Judd Researcher and activist Regional Director (outgoing), Actor and activist ARTICLE 19 West Africa

Risa Hontiveros Kate James Ellen Judson Philippine Senator, women’s and Chair of the Board, Vital Voices Senior Researcher, CASM, Demos children’s rights advocate, activist Global Partnership

Valerie Hudson Nina Jankowicz Gypsy Guillén Kaiser University Distinguished Professor Author and Global Fellow, The Advocacy and communications and George H.W. Bush Chair at Wilson Center director, Committee to Protect The Bush School of Government Journalists and Public Service at Texas A&M University

Hera Hussain Shruthi Jayaram Dame Jude Kelly CEO, CHAYN Co-Lead, Global Gender Equity, Theatre director Dalberg Advisors

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE Aranya Johar Sonia Khan Co-Founder and CEO, Stemettes Poet CEO, SBK Tech Ventures

Judicaelle Irakoze Lysa John Nikita Khanna Executive Director, Choose Yourself CIVICUS Secretary-General Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator, Restless Development

Barbara Iyayi Dr Omobola Johnson Baroness Beeban Kidron Founding Partner & CEO, Unicorn Senior Partner, TLcom Capital LLP Founder, 5Rights Foundation Growth Capital and Board Member, World Wide Web Foundation Jane Kihungi Rosemary Leith Ian Mangenga Director, Women Challenged to Co-founder, World Wide Web Founder, Digital Girl Africa Challenge Foundation

Billie Jean King Claudia Leitte Nathalie Margi Founder, Billie Jean King Leadership Music Artist Senior Advocacy Officer, Urgent Initiative Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights

Lauren Klein Annie Lennox OBE Angelica Mari Associate Professor of English and Founder, The Circle Journalist Quantitative Theory & Methods, Emory University

Caitlin Kraft-Buchman Heather Leson Rebecca Masisak CEO & Founder, Women@theTable Technologist CEO, TechSoup

Jacqueline Lampe Helena Leurent Rose McDermott CEO, RNW Media Director General, Consumers The David and Mariana Fisher International University Professor of International Relations at Brown University and a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Jensine Larsen Graça Machel Dr Claire Melamed Founder & CEO, World Pulse CEO, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data

Dame Twiggy Lawson DBE Rebecca MacKinnon Debbie Millman Co-founder, Global Voices and Designer, writer, podcaster Founder, Ranking Digital Rights

Kim Leadbeater M. Ester Maestro Pat Mitchell Candidate for UK Parliament European Projects Coordinator, Co-Founder, Connected Women Fundación Cibervoluntarios Leaders Fikile Moeti (Fix) Juliet Nanfuka Monica Nthiga Broadcaster and social CIPESA (Collaboration on Regional Director - East Africa, entrepreneur International ICT Policy in East and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Southern Africa) Team

Shyleen Momanyi Farah Nazeer Nnenna Nwakanma Co-Executive Director, Young CEO, Women’s Aid Chief Web Advocate, World Wide Women’s Leadership Institute Web Foundation

Jo Morfee Alyse Nelson Rita Nyampinga Co-founder, InnovateHer Co-Founder, President & CEO, Vital Director, Female Prisoners Support Voices Global Partnership Trust (FEMPRIST)

Françoise Moudouthe Sophie Nelson Tope Ogundipe CEO, African Women’s Development Advocacy Champion, The World Director, Tech Societal Fund (AWDF) Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

Immaculate Mukasa Thandiwe Newton OBE Femi Oke Executive Director, Mentoring and Actor and activist Journalist and Broadcaster Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW)

Samhita Mukhopadhyay Achia Nila Scheaffer Okore Author Founder, CEO, Women in Digital Director of Policy and Advocacy, Women Political Leaders

Tina Musuya Carole Njoya Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Executive Director, Centre for Founder & Managing Director/CEO, Minister for Communications and Domestic Violence Prevention Alcees Digitalisation, Ghana (CEDOVIP)

Racheal Nakitare Bulanda Nkhowani Trisha Pande Assistant TV Programmes Manager, Program Officer, Paradigm Initiative Research Associate, Centre for International Association of Women Policy Research in Radio and Television Pooja Pant Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh Tiffany Shlain Director, Voices of Women Media Director of Africa Regional Founder of Webby Awards & Author Programme, International Commission of Jurists

Melody Patry Maria Ressa Andrea Simon Advocacy Director, Access Now Journalist and CEO, Rappler Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition

Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu Mary Robinson Chelsea Slater Chief Operating Officer, Paradigm Former President of Ireland and Co-founder, InnovateHer Initiative former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Sandra Pepera Joanna Rubinstein Leslie Lynn Smith Director, Gender, Women and Dr, Council Member, Expert, UN National Director, GET Cities Democracy, National Democratic Sustainable Development Solutions Institute Network

Jess Phillips Ester Borges Santos Lynn St.Amour Member of Parliament, UK House Minas Programam President & CEO, Internet Matters of Commons

Emilie Pradichit Tanya Selvaratnam Revi Sterling Founder, Manushya Foundation Senior Advisor on Gender Director, USAID WomenConnect Justice Narratives, Pop Culture Challenge Collaborative

Angela Quintal Anasuya Sengupta Catherine Stihler OBE Africa program coordinator, Co-Director, Whose Knowledge? CEO, Creative Commons Committee to Protect Journalists

Dame Heather Rabbatts Raakhi Shah Debbie Stothard Chair, Times Up UK CEO, The Circle Chair, International Campaign for the Rohingya Ramona Strugariu Jeni Tennison OBE Mariana Valente Member of the European Vice President and Chief Strategy Director, InternetLab - Brazil Parliament Adviser, Open Data Institute

Kathryn D. Sullivan Sarai Tevita Gauri van Gulik Astronaut, Explorer ICT Director, University of Samoa Women’s rights activist

Asha Sumputh Yeama Thompson Rachel VanNice Journalist Director General, Sierra Leone Senior Manager, Global Operations News Agency & GDI Lead, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Savena Surana Amalia Toledo Elodie Vialle Co-founder, Identity 2.0 Consultant, Digital Safety and Free Expression, PEN America; Berkman Klein Center at Harvard

Yifat Susskind Jenny Toomey Arnalie Vicario Executive Director, MADRE International Director of Technology Online Community Engagement & Society, Ford Foundation Lead for Humanitarian, Openstreetmap Team and Core Member of GeoladiesPH

Precious Taru FKA twigs Viktorya Vilk Executive Director, Musasa Project Music Artist Program Director, Digital Safety and Free Expression, PEN America

Professor Mina Teicher Gergana Tzvetkova, PhD Marieliv Flores Villalobos Director of the Emmy Noether Researcher Activist Director, Hiperderecho Research Institute (Israel); former chief scientist at Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology

WahKuShee Tenner Onyinye Udokporo Priya Jaisinghani Vora Director, Karen Peace Support CEO, Enrich Learning CEO and Founder, Future State Network Adele Vrana Moira Whelan Professor Ngaire Woods Co-Director, Whose Knowledge? Director, Democracy and University of Oxford Technology, National Democratic Institute

Ssenfuka Joanita Warry Jayathma Wickramanayake Inés Yábar Executive Director, Freedom and UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Senior Global Campaigns Roam Uganda Youth Coordinator, Restless Development

Emma Watson Marty Wikstrom Selene Yang Actor and activist Founding Partner, Atelier Fund; GeoChicas Board Member, World Wide Web Foundation

Dr Charlotte Webb Maisie Williams Jillian C. York Feminist Internet Actor, filmmaker, and Director for International Freedom environmentalist of Expression, Electronic Frontier Foundation

Marnie Webb Rhea Wong Anita Zaidi Chief Community Impact Officer, Founder, Rhea Wong Consulting President of Gender Equality, TechSoup, CEO of Caravan Studios, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a division of TechSoup