RSPCA calls for action on online animal cruelty
“Social pressures are significant, but they also connect us in ways that allow for widespread advocacy and support” – Esme Higgs.
The RSPCA is calling on social media companies to do more to crack down on animal abuse content being shared on their platforms.
The charity is concerned about the number of young adults seeing the content online. New data from the Animal Kindness Index, which looks at people’s attitudes towards animals, revealed that 43 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds and 32 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 have seen online content involving someone harming an animal.
These figures are higher than the overall percentage of people in the general population who say they have seen such content, which stands at 22 per cent.
As part of the Online Safety Act 2023, the regulator Ofcom is soon set to consult on what social media companies need to do to tackle animal abuse on their platforms.
However, the RSPCA wants to see social media firms go further than any legal obligations they might be given and work to stamp out the content.
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: “It's now vital that Ofcom publishes clear guidance for social media companies, meeting the expectations of the public when this act was passed that it will deal with the risks animal abuse content poses to users.
“But, whatever the legal obligations, we also want to see social media companies going further - committing to stamping out all animal abuse content on their platforms, and empowering users to be able to quickly and easily report content that is gratuitously violent or harmful against animals.”
The charity is concerned that seeing such content could normalise animal abuse among younger people.
The Animal Kindness Index found that young adults are more tolerant of activities that can potentially be harmful to animals, including dressing them up for fashion or fun, breeding animals with specific genetic problems, and using animals in entertainment shows on TV.
Esme Higgs, a YouTube influencer, is supporting the RSPCA’s work to get young people interested in animal welfare.
Ms Higgs said: “Young people already have so much on their collective plates. However, amid the challenges, there's an incredible opportunity for us to make a positive impact. While concerns about the environment and climate anxiety are common, we have the power to create change and foster hope for a better future.
“Social pressures are significant, but they also connect us in ways that allow for widespread advocacy and support. Social media can be a powerful tool for spreading awareness and driving collective action for causes we care about, including animal welfare.”
This year’s Animal Kindness Index, published in partnership with the Scottish SPCA and Northern Ireland’s USPCA, can be read in full here.
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