Ministers draw up laws to regulate tech giants
MINISTERS have started drafting proposals for new laws to regulate social media and the internet after a Daily Telegraph campaign.
The move has been prompted by widespread consumer concerns over child abuse, bullying, fake news and internet addiction.
The White Paper is being drafted by three government departments – the Home Office, Culture and Health – but it is still unclear whether they will introduce a statutory duty of care.
The Telegraph has been campaigning for such a duty of care to protect adults and children from online harm. Last week, the Labour Party formally backed a duty of care as its policy.
A Culture Department spokesman said: “This winter we will publish a White Paper, setting out new laws to tackle the full range of online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe. We are considering all options, including what legislation will be necessary and whether a regulator is needed.”
Jeremy Wright, the Culture Secretary, this week warned he would not rush into creating “flawed” legislation. “If we don’t get it right you can be guaranteed whatever system of restriction or regulation we come up with will be robustly challenged by [the internet companies],” he told the Royal Television Society.
Mr Wright said he would visit Germany next week to review its laws against online hate speech.
In the past week, both of Britain’s key regulators – Ofcom and the Information Commissioner – backed regulation on tech giants.
Sharon White, Ofcom’s chief executive, said social media platforms should have to remove inappropriate material quickly or face fines.
Elizabeth Denham, the Information Commissioner, said voluntary regulation was no longer sustainable. “The time has come for more control to protect individuals against the harms that are of deep public concern.”
Research published by the two regulators revealed one in five Britons – 12million people – had been harmed by online content or conduct, with social media firms blamed in most cases.
Ministers refused to be drawn on whether there would be a new regulator for the tech firms or if responsibilities could be taken over by Ofcom.
Andy Burrows, the NSPCC’S associate head of child safety online, said: “Any legislation must have child safety at its heart.”