‘We can’t turn blind eye to dark side of social media’

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said “we cannot ignore the crimes begin committed on social networks” at the launch of a government White Paper on online harm. He also told tech bosses they must develop new ways to detect illegal content.

The laws, designed to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, were published by the Home Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport yesterday. They include hefty fines and criminal liability for senior managers who breach a duty of care, overseen by a new regulator for social media.

The Home Secretary said the sector “cannot turn a blind eye to the darker side of social media”, after the terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand which was broadcast live on Facebook.

“Social networks bring great joy and great comfort to a great many people, but we … cannot ignore the fact that individuals and groups around the world are using them to facilitate, encourage and commit some of the most vile and abhorrent crimes.”

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said: “We are wellplaced to act first and to develop a system of regulation the world will want to emulate.”