UK Government Considers Tighter Regulation of Social Media

The UK government is reportedly contemplating amendments to the Online Safety Act, a move aimed at tightening regulations on social media companies in the wake of a week of racist rioting fueled by false information online. The reconsideration of the legislation comes as the country grapples with the increasing influence of harmful online content on public behavior.

According to Reuters, the Online Safety Act, which was passed in October but is not set to be enforced until early next year, currently allows the government to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on social media companies found in breach of the law. As it stands, these companies would only face financial penalties if they fail to police illegal content, including incitement to violence or hate speech. However, proposed changes could expand the scope of the law, enabling the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to sanction companies for permitting “legal but harmful” content, such as misinformation, to proliferate on their platforms.

The legislation, inherited by the recently-elected Labour government from the Conservatives, was the product of extensive deliberation. The previous government spent months fine-tuning the bill in an effort to balance the right to free speech with the need to protect the public from online harms. Despite these efforts, the recent riots have highlighted the challenges in curbing the spread of false information, leading to renewed scrutiny of the act’s provisions.

Per Reuters, the growing public concern over the regulation of social media companies was underscored by a recent YouGov survey, which revealed that two-thirds of the 2,000 adults polled believe these companies should be held accountable for posts that incite criminal behavior. Furthermore, 70% of respondents indicated that social media companies are not sufficiently regulated, and 71% expressed dissatisfaction with the platforms’ efforts to counter misinformation during the recent unrest.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds addressed the issue on Friday, acknowledging the need for potential adjustments to the law’s framework. “There are obviously aspects of the Online Safety Act that haven’t come into effect yet. We stand ready to make changes if necessary,” he said in an interview with Sky News, per Reuters.