How many people encounter harmful content online in the UK? Which platforms are most associated with harm, and who is most affected? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about online harms in Britain.
Overview
How Many People See Harmful Content Online? (2025)
37% of UK adults saw something upsetting online in the past four weeks in June 2025. That is up from 31% in June 2024.
66% encountered specific types of potentially harmful content from a pre-defined list. This is slightly down from 69% in January 2025 and 68% in June 2024.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Who Is Most Likely to Encounter Online Harm? (2025)
78% of 18-34 year olds encountered at least one potential harm online. 18-34 year olds are 14 percentage points more likely than 35-54s and 20 percentage points more likely than 55+ to encounter potential harm.
50% of 18-34 year olds saw something upsetting in the past 4 weeks.
79% of LGB+ users encountered at least one potential harm online. 53% of LGB+ users saw something upsetting.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Are Women More Affected by Online Harm? (2025)
Women are 7 percentage points more likely than men to have seen something upsetting online.
30% of women versus 20% of men were really bothered or extremely offended by their most recent potential harm.
45% of minority ethnic users saw something upsetting online, 11 percentage points higher than White users.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Types of Harm
What Harmful Content Do People Encounter Most? (2025)
Misinformation is the most-encountered potential harm at 41%. Scams, fraud, and phishing are encountered by 34%.
Offensive language is encountered by 33%. Hateful or discriminatory content is encountered by 26%.
Fake or deceptive images and videos rose to sixth-most experienced at 22%, up from 18% in 2024.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Is Self-Harm Content Increasing? (2025)
4% encountered content encouraging or assisting suicide, up from 3% in June 2024.
84% who saw animal cruelty reported being really bothered, the highest impact of any harm type. 62% who saw hate content reported being really bothered.
Only 22% who saw misinformation reported being really bothered, the lowest impact despite being the most common harm.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Where Harms Occur
Where Do People Encounter Online Harm? (2025)
59% of those encountering potential harms said their most recent incident was on social media.
9% encountered their most recent harm on video-sharing platforms. 8% encountered harm via email, rising to 14% among those aged 55 and over.
36% of potential harms were encountered while scrolling through feeds. 22% were in comment sections.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Which Platforms Are Associated with Most Harm? (2025)
Facebook is associated with 29% of most recent potential harms. Instagram is associated with 16%.
X is associated with 14%, down from 18% in 2024 and 21% in January 2025. TikTok increased to 11%, up from 9% in January 2025.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Do Men and Women Encounter Harm on Different Platforms? (2025)
Men are more likely to encounter harms on X at 20% versus 10% for women. Men are also more likely to encounter harms on YouTube at 8% versus 4% for women.
Women are more likely to encounter harms on Facebook at 32% versus 25% for men. Women are more likely on Instagram at 18% versus 13%, and on TikTok at 15% versus 7%.
The platforms where harm is encountered closely mirror gender differences in overall platform usage.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Does Harm Platform Vary by Age? (2025)
43% of those aged 55 and over reported Facebook as the source of their most recent harm. Only 6% of 18-24 year olds reported Facebook.
24% of 18-24 year olds encountered their most recent harm on Instagram. 23% reported TikTok.
5% of 18-34 year olds encountered their most recent harm on YouTube, despite spending 88 minutes per day on the platform.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Impact
How Bothered Are People by Online Harm? (2025)
25% were really bothered or extremely offended by their most recent potential harm.
30% with a limiting condition were really bothered, compared to 22% without. 34% of LGB+ users were really bothered, compared to 24% of heterosexual users.
29% of minority ethnic users were really bothered, compared to 24% of White users. 37% of other ethnic groups and 31% of Black/Black British users were really bothered.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Attitudes & Reporting
Do People Think the Internet Is Good for Society? (2024)
67% of online adults agree the benefits of being online outweigh the risks, down from 71% in 2023.
40% felt the internet was good for society overall, down from the previous year.
11% of 18-24 year olds and 10% of minority ethnic users agreed that risks outweighed benefits.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Do People Think Platforms Need More Safety Measures? (2024)
44% believed further safety measures were needed online, up from 40% in June 2023.
35% of adults reported or flagged content after encountering potential harm in 2024. 38% were aware of the outcome of their report, up from 30% in June 2023.
Satisfaction following reporting increased to 40%, up from 31% in June 2023.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
How Do People Feel About Free Speech Online? (2024)
38% agreed the internet has an important role in supporting free speech.
47% of men agreed with free speech importance, compared to 30% of women.
26% said platforms should monitor and delete offensive views, up from 24% in 2023.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf)
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2024/online-nation-2024-report.pdf)
- Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025