Britain could soon fine social media giants up to 10% of their annual earnings for failing to remove illegal content.
Britain’s newest online censorship law came into force on Monday (UK time), as the country’s telecoms regulator published a list of content that social media platforms must remove to avoid multi-million-pound fines.
Ofcom, the British government’s media and telecommunications watchdog, published a set of guidelines that platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok must comply with by March or risk punishment under the Online Safety Act, which was passed in 2023.
The guidelines list a range of 130 illegal acts that these platforms must forbid and prevent, including incitement to terrorism, human trafficking, and the sharing of child sexual abuse material.
Also prohibited is the “stirring up of racial hatred” or “hatred on the basis of religion or sexual orientation,” which although ill-defined are already illegal under British law.
Some offenses are “complex,” Ofcom wrote. “They may be more about a series of interactions between users, or may involve behavior that takes place partly offline, or may involve thinking about the nature, identity or age of one or more of the users concerned.”
An early draft of the Online Safety Act included a clause banning certain “legal but harmful” content. However, this passage was pulled from the bill last year after then Business and Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch complained that it amounted to “legislating for hurt feelings.”
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly considered reinserting the controversial clause after a wave of anti-immigration and anti-Islam rioting swept the UK in August, but ultimately decided not to, according to a spokesperson from his office.
Companies who fail to comply with Ofcom’s new rules may be fined up to 10% of their global annual revenue, to a maximum of £18 million ($22.8 million). For repeat offenders, individual managers could face jail time, while Ofcom could seek a court order to block access to a platform in the UK.
According to Ofcom, the rules will apply to more than 100,000 companies from around the world, from the largest social media platforms to “very small” providers of entertainment, dating, gambling, and other online services.
“Also prohibited is the “stirring up of racial hatred” or “hatred on the basis of religion or sexual orientation,” which although ill-defined are already illegal under British law.”
Welcome to 1984 compliments of the globalist regime ruining the UK. What these platforms should do is close down or block their presence/use in the UK. Lets see how the authoritarian bastards get on then.
Stanmer’s government have lost the plot !
If I were one of those companies, I would pull my service from the UK and let the citizens (if they had any balls) complain to the government and have this idiotic law rescinded.
Maybe these companies are ‘in it’?
Maybe it’s a bigger plan?
Maybe the ones who own almost everything don’t care about collateral damage to their herd?
Maybe to them New Zealand is just a big farm?
Maybe Godzone was sold out to the globalists too?
Oh so we are legislated to only read the news the governments media agencies write.
Just wondering how that will play out with an overseas server and a VPN to access it.
Starmer’s lost his kippah
Unfortunately, this is what happens when the Public in England are more interested about their Pint of Lager and Football than Voting, it basically serves them right, The British Bulldog is DEAD
The English public have been rorted for centuries, ever since the Enclosures Act.
Whatever happened to “Sticks and Stones . . . . “
Starmer is a repulsive globalist apparatchik with a popularity rating of 15% and in the toilet. His days are numbered. Possibly the only thing more stupid are the British voting public and their apparent absence of any discernment. Starmer and his Marxist ilk are bringing the day of pitchforks at dawn ever closer.
That is what the EU and ursula von der lüge dream off.
……and still the children are abused and the abuse is put up online😢. Is this another distraction to cover the real abusers and dividers. To keep up the appearance of safety.
Starter is the new modern day hitler but without any brains.
Britain is in a downward spiral.
No he’s a modern day Stalin, a filthy lying bolshevik commie globalist fake j€w, Adolf was a nationalist fighting against the globalists, the ruling elite have many divide and rule scenarios going on to keep everyone distracted with bread and circuses while they try to bring about total control.
Stamer is pure evil and hates the British people.