PRITI Patel has been urged to consider outlawing misogynist hate groups operating in the UK, amid terrorism fears.
MPs heard that men identifying as “involuntary celibate”, or “incel”, had been linked with attacks both in person and online.
The online subculture involves men who express hostility and extreme resentment towards those who are sexually active.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham) said: “Involuntary celibate – or incel – groups, as they’re known, are increasingly on the rise.
“Just to explain, this online community understands society to be hierarchised along sexual attractiveness and that these misogynists blame women for their own lack of status, forcing them into involuntary celibacy.
“Their harbouring of hate and resentment towards women has manifested in a spate of deadly terrorist attacks across the Atlantic, with at least two cases of terrorism in the UK motivated by incel ideas.
“So will the minister commit to having discussions with the Home Secretary to identify and proscribe where necessary any forms of this deadly misogynist hate group?
“And as most of this hate occurs online, can the minister tell us what steps the Online Harms Bill will take to end this online abuse against women, when it will be introduced and when its measures will take effect?”
Culture minister Caroline Dinenage paid tribute to Ribeiro-Addy for her work to “call out” online abuse, adding: “She’s absolutely right, there’s no place for this sort of behaviour online.
“The Online Harms Bill will make it much clearer the links between what online companies say they do and what they actually do, and women will be better supported to report abuse and expect to receive appropriate and swift action from the platform.
“In addition to that, we’ve also sponsored the Law Commission review on harmful online communications looking at whether the law needs to be tightened around this issue, and that’ll be reporting back shortly.”
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