Social media firms face huge fines

 

The legislation is the first of its kind globally and is designed to make Britain the safest country in the world online. Mr Dowden says the social media firms will not only face multibillion-pound fines for breaches of the duty of care laws but could also have their websites blocked to UK users.

 

This would mean platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube would no longer be allowed to let children under 13 on to their sites with "no further questions asked" and would face sanctions for failing to enforce minimum age limits.

 

Mr Dowden pledges the Bill would also turn the tide on misogynistic,,racist, and anti-Semitic abuse online. "Enough is enough. We're all sick to death of the bile and the threats," he wrote. "If it's illegal, platforms like Facebook and Twitter will have to flag and remove online abuse quickly and effectively, or face the consequences … No more excuses."

 

The draft Bill will give Ofcom powers to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global turnover, whichever is greater, meaning the regulator could issue a maximum fine of £6 billion to Facebook and £13 billion to Google if they failed to "remove and limit" illegal content. Social media users will also have a right of appeal to reinstate their content if it has been removed "unfairly". 

 

Ian Russell, the father of 14-year-old Molly Russell who took her life after viewing self-harm material online, welcomed the Bill but said: "If that is watered down in any way and if harmful content continues to be promoted and pushed by tech companies' algorithms, then the Bill will have failed and people will remain at risk.

 

 

PM Law 

Sheffield Property Solicitors