Tech giants could be fined billions under new rules

SOCIAL media firms face fines of billions of pounds if they target children with “addictive” features to keep them online, under a legally enforced code unveiled today.

Elizabeth Denham, the data watchdog, has ruled that firms should not use “sticky” features such as notifications, continuous scrolling, auto-play or reward loops to encourage children to stay online for hours.

Although she acknowledges there is no official evidence to prove it damages children’s health and wellbeing, she cites calls by all the UK’S chief medical officers for tech giants to adopt a “precautionary approach” by removing such addictive features.

In the code, Ms Denham tells the firms: “Until such time as a formal position is adopted, you should therefore not use personal data to support these types of mechanisms and strategies.”

The firms will have to introduce pause buttons to allow children to take a break without losing their progress in an online game, and notices warning them to take regular time out.

The code will be policed by Ms Denham, the information commissioner, under the Data Protection Act 2018. It gives her powers to fine firms up to 4 per cent of global turnover – equivalent to £1.65billion for Facebook and £3.4 billion for Google.

The “age appropriate design” code, to be in force by December, will require firms to introduce strict age checks or assume all users are children.

They will be expected to provide a “child appropriate” service to all users, including privacy automatically set to its highest level and with geolocation switched off.