NSPCC chief demands fines for social media

SOCIAL media sites should face fines if they fail to protect children and young people from adult and harmful content, the chief executive of the NSPCC has said.

Peter Wanless called on the next government to place sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Askfm under “robust scrutiny” from a new watchdog “with bite” to ensure they shield children from pornography, violent content, child abusers and online bullying.

Just as films and TV are regulated, so too should the sites where many children spend hours browsing and communicating with others, said Mr Wanless.

He issued the demands after a survey by the NSPCC found four in five youngsters felt social media companies needed to do more to protect them while services.

In a letter to The Times, he said it was time for the Government to take “bold action to hold internet companies to account”. Online safety is one of the biggest issues for children and young people today and one the Government must tackle head on,” he wrote.

“It is high time for online companies to come under robust scrutiny from an independent regulator with bite and to face fines when they fail to keep children safe.”

On Thursday MPs passed the Digital Economy Bill, which includes a code of conduct for social media firms to tackle illicit material.

The Government is reportedly considering fining companies that do not comply with the code. using their