The UK yesterday proposed new online safety laws that would slap penalties on social media companies and technology firms if they fail to protect their users from harmful content.
Easy access to damaging material particularly among young people has caused growing concern worldwide and came into the spotlight after the death of 14-year-old schoolgirl Molly Russell, which her parents said came after she had viewed online material on depression and suicide.
Governments across the world are wrestling over how to better control content on social media platforms, often blamed for encouraging abuse, the spread of online pornography and for influencing or manipulating voters.
Global worries were stoked by the livestreaming of the mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand on Facebook, after which Australia said it would fine social media and Web hosting companies and imprison executives if violent content is not removed “expeditiously.”
In a policy paper widely trailed in British media, the government said it would look into possibly using fines, blocking access to Web sites, and imposing liability on senior tech company management for failing to limit the distribution of harmful content.
It would also set up a regulator to police the rules.
TechUK, an industry trade group, said the paper was a significant step forward, but one which needed to be firmed up during its 12-week consultation.
It said some aspects of the government’s approach were too vague.
“It is vital that the new framework is effective, proportionate and predictable,” techUK said in a statement, adding that not all concerns could be addressed through regulation.
Facebook said it was looking forward to working with the government to ensure new regulations were effective, repeating its cofounder Mark Zuckerberg’s line that regulations were needed to have a standard approach across platforms.
Rebecca Stimson, Facebook’s head of UK public policy, said any new rules should strike a balance between protecting society and supporting innovation and free speech.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that while the Internet could be brilliant at connecting people, it had not done enough to protect users, especially children and young people.
“That is not good enough and it is time to do things differently,” May said in a statement. “We have listened to campaigners and parents, and are putting a legal duty of care on Internet companies to keep people safe.”
The duty of care would make companies take more responsibility for the safety of users and tackle harm caused by content or activity on their services.
The regulator, funded by industry in the medium term, is to set clear safety standards.
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