UK joins crackdown on social media after live-streamed attack

The U.K. joined a growing global backlash against technology companies such as Facebook and Twitter, proposing fines and bans if social-media platforms fail to curb illegal activity.

The government outlined plans for an industry-funded regulator that would police the technology companies’ platforms for harmful content, such as incitement to terrorism and child sexual exploitation. The move is part of a push by Prime Minister Theresa May’s government to hold the companies accountable.

The U.K. plan follows steps by countries from Australia to the European Union to increase scrutiny of tech companies that until now have largely avoided any form of industry regulation. Last week, Australia passed legislation that included potential prison sentences of up to three years for executives who fail to remove abhorrent material from their platforms.

In the U.K., too, enforcement powers could go as far as imposing liability on individual company managers. The government laid out the proposals as it opened a 12-week consultation Monday.

European lawmakers are also voting Monday on removal rules for online terrorism content, part of a broader EU effort to make platforms increasingly liable for what their users post.

The U.K. proposal wasn’t universally welcomed. The Institute of Economic Affairs, a pro-market research group, labelled the plans “draconian” and more likely to do harm than good by holding back innovation. Giving the government power to dictate what content is appropriate sets a dangerous precedent, Director General Mark Littlewood said.