UK Minister Demands Social Media Compliance with Safety Laws
The 2023 Online Safety Act initially proposed requiring platforms to remove “legal-but-harmful” content.
Social media platforms like Facebook and X must comply with UK laws, Science Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized after Meta’s recent changes to fact-checking policies.
Meta’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, announced this week that the new US-based rules would mean content moderators and fact-checkers “catch less bad stuff” and remove fewer “innocent” posts. However, Kyle clarified during an appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the policy only applies to the US.
“If you operate in the UK, you must abide by the law,” Kyle stated. “The law mandates the removal of illegal content.”
Call for Action from Bereaved Families
Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly Russell tragically died after being exposed to harmful online content, urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to enforce stricter internet safety measures.
He expressed concern that the UK is “going backwards” on online safety.
Russell criticized tech leaders like Zuckerberg and Elon Musk for shifting toward a “laissez-faire” approach that risks exposing users to the kind of harmful content that contributed to Molly’s death.
Gaps in UK’s Online Safety Laws
Advocates and campaigners argue that existing UK laws fail to address issues like live streaming and content promoting self-harm or suicide. Kyle acknowledged these shortcomings, calling the current legal framework “very uneven” and “unsatisfactory.”
Online Safety Act: Progress and Controversy
The 2023 Online Safety Act initially proposed requiring platforms to remove “legal-but-harmful” content.
However, critics argued that this could lead to censorship, prompting lawmakers to revise the legislation.
The final version focuses on empowering users to filter content according to personal preferences.
Despite his disappointment with the revisions, Kyle stressed that the Act provides “very good powers” to address safety concerns.
He warned that companies failing to comply with UK law would face severe consequences.
The debate underscores the ongoing struggle to balance freedom of expression with user safety in the digital age.