Minister warns Facebook chief on self-regulation

CULTURE Secretary Jeremy Wright has said talks with Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg on how to tackle online harm were constructive but warned social network giants that they can no longer rely on self-regulation.

The minister flew out to the US this week to speak with Mr Zuckerberg and other tech leaders in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, about the UK’s White Paper, which is expected to set out measures to make social networks more accountable for the content shared on their platforms.

Mr Wright said he found Mr Zuckerberg very engaged and well-informed during Thursday’s meeting, with the White Paper, disinformation and Facebook’s own strategy to confront harmful content all on the agenda.

“I’m pleased that we’ve had this engagement and been able to speak to Mark Zuckerberg directly about our thinking on the forthcoming White Paper,” Mr Wright said.

“The Government’s objective is designing an effective system, and it was useful to speak to him and his team about this in some detail. There is a good understanding that the UK government wants to keep its citizens safe online.”

The move comes amid concern about the types of content easily obtainable on social networks, highlighted by the case of Molly Russell, who died in 2017 aged 14.

Her family found material relating to depression and suicide when they looked at her Instagram account after her death.

Facebook said it found the meeting with Mr Wright “productive” and would “support meaningful regulation”.