Scottish Greens accuse tech giants of profiting from ‘hatred and division’

The Scottish Greens have said that it is crucial tech giants are made to take a stand against toxic and misogynistic behaviour online.  

Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: “Some of the most powerful voices that we need to take on are the tech giants and social media companies. They have knowingly allowed misogyny to flourish on their platforms, cashing in on the spread of hatred and division and raking in huge profits from cyber bullying, toxic behaviour and fuelling the far right.”

The comments come before a scheduled Scottish Government debate on preventing violence against women and girls. The debate will highlight the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which warns that digital violence is the fastest-growing form of abuse against women and girls worldwide.  

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said: “What begins online doesn’t stay online. Digital abuse spills into real life, spreading fear, silencing voices, and—in the worst cases—leading to physical violence and femicide. Laws must evolve with technology to ensure that justice protects women both online and offline. Weak legal protections leave millions of women and girls vulnerable, while perpetrators act with impunity. This is unacceptable. Through our 16 Days of Activism campaign, UN Women calls for a world where technology serves equality, not harm.”

The campaign calls for urgent action to close legal gaps that allow for forms of abuse from online harassment and cyberstalking to doxing, non-consensual image sharing, deepfakes, and disinformation. The UN says that across the world, women in leadership, business and politics face threats from deepfakes, coordinated harassment and gender-based disinformation intended to silence them.

Chapman added: “Enough is enough. It is time for our governments to listen - really listen - and to take action. Self-regulation does not work. If we are serious about tackling violence against women and girls then it will need robust laws and regulations to force social media companies to act.”

First Minister John Swinney recently called on the UK Government to implement the “toughest stance” possible to regulate social media sites. The comment came after a statement from the chief constable of Police Scotland that said reports of online child sexual abuse had more than doubled in 2025.

Swinney said: “We need to have the toughest stance on these organisations because there is a lawlessness out there online. It’s damaging our children and it has got to be arrested.”