DWYFOR Meirionnydd’s MP has challenged the prime minister to help protect women online as the debate about social media rolls on.

In recent weeks, Facebook has been in the headlines after it emerged that millions of users had their data exploited by a political consultancy.

The announcement has renewed calls for an enforced code of practice for social media corporations, protecting users from being abused.

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts was particularly concerned about the plight of women in politics and the abuse they suffer online.

Challenging Theresa May at PMQs last week, Mrs Saville Roberts said: “[Recently] every party in Westminster took part in an international summit to challenge violence against women in politics, and online abuse dominated the discussions.

“Last year, the prime minister’s government considered a statutory code of practice for social media corporations, holding them to account for the abusive content they publish. Will she confirm whether she remains content with a toothless voluntary code, or will she now give us a digital guard dog that both barks and bites?”

In response, Mrs May said: “The honourable lady raises an important point. On all of these issues, we have taken the view that we should first sit down with those in the industry and work with them to see what they are willing to do on a voluntary basis, but they know that if that does not actually work, we will look at legislation.

“She raises an important point about the abuse that takes place. She refers particularly to the abuse that takes place within political campaigning, and I am afraid we have now reached a very sorry state of affairs in this country.

“We want to see free and fair elections, and people having the confidence to be able to go out and put their views forward without fearing that they are going to be abused for it.”