The United Kingdom is set to broaden its regulations targeting illegal content online to address the ways in which social media platforms manage crises, such as the recent riots that occurred in the country, as disclosed by British regulatory body Ofcom on Monday.
In its initial guidance for the Online Safety Act, legislation established in 2023 that oversees illegal materials on digital platforms, Ofcom outlined its intentions to implement further measures by next spring. These enhancements will include proposals focused on the removal of content related to child sexual abuse and terrorism, along with the introduction of “crisis response protocols for emergency events.”
The UK experienced violent demonstrations in August following the tragic stabbings of three young girls in Southport, which were accompanied by false claims suggesting the assailant was a Muslim asylum seeker. These riots posed a significant challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration, occurring just two months into his tenure. Starmer urged social media companies to take action against what he termed “violent disorder clearly whipped up online.”
Elon Musk, owner of X, has been vocally critical of Starmer’s response to the riots. Following the turbulent events, Starmer’s Labour Party began to explore stricter regulations aimed at mitigating harmful content online, according to reports from Bloomberg News.
Ofcom indicated on Monday that companies have a three-month period to assess illegal harms present on their platforms in accordance with the agency’s initial regulations. Non-compliance could result in significant penalties, including fines of up to 10 percent of a platform’s global revenue or, in extreme cases, a court order that would prevent access to the service within the UK.
“These laws mark a fundamental re-set in society’s expectations of technology companies,” stated Peter Kyle, the UK’s technology secretary, in his comments on Monday. “I expect them to deliver and will be watching closely to make sure they do.”
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