Facebook unveils £1m anti-bullying package after levy threat

 Facebook has promised to pay for thousands of schoolchildren to be given anti-bullying training, just days after the Government threatened to hit the company with a “social media tax”.

The US internet giant announced a £1million package yesterday that it said would be enough for every secondary school in the UK to have a “digital safety ambassador” that would help stamp out online bullying.

Last week Karen Bradley, the Culture Secretary, proposed a levy on social media companies to pay for measures to protect children online.

The proposals are similar to 2005’s Gambling Act, which granted the Government power to collect funds from the gambling industry. In practice bookmakers have made voluntary contributions and a similar commitment from internet companies could see them avoid an enforced levy.

Facebook insisted the pledge, which will see it fund the Diana Award and Childnet International to provide training to help teenagers deal with cyber bullying, showed it took internet safety “very seriously”.