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The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has come under fire after an employee made a joke about overseeing the porn industry in a recruitment post. The job, advertised as a “Supervision Associate” on LinkedIn, drew criticism from campaigners, who called it “reprehensible” and accused Ofcom of trivialising violence against women. The post was liked by a number of senior Ofcom staff, including an Online Safety Supervision Principal. Despite the criticism, Ofcom defended the post, calling it “a mistake from a well-intentioned colleague wishing to attract attention to a recruitment post”.
Baroness Kidron, a crossbench peer who campaigns for children’s rights online, was among those who condemned the post. She accused Ofcom of failing to understand its role as the regulator of harmful online content, stating that “we need grown-ups who want results that change people’s lives for the better”. Her concerns were echoed by Gemma Kelly, head of policy and public affairs at CEASE, a charity trying to combat sexual exploitation in the UK. Kelly described the post as “completely reprehensible,” adding that “an industry which normalises violence against women” should not be taken lightly.
Ofcom has taken on broad new enforcement powers for pornographic and other digital services with the Online Safety Act, set to partially come into force in 2025. However, critics argue that the regulator is treating its role as a “perk”, and not doing enough to combat the impact of porn on children. Despite the employee’s apology for the “poorly judged” post, many in the charity sector have called for Ofcom to take a stronger stance on online safety and acknowledge the seriousness of its role as the regulator of harmful content.
This incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the regulation of harmful content online and the role of organisations such as Ofcom in protecting vulnerable groups. While many agree that the regulator should do more, there are differing opinions on how this should be achieved. Nonetheless, this controversy is likely to prompt further discussion on the issue, and may lead to changes in Ofcom’s approach
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