Last month saw the long-awaited Online Safety Act come into force in the UK. This much-discussed piece of legislation is intended to create a safer online environment for internet users. In an age where almost everybody has a smartphone, where a significant proportion of business and leisure alike are conducted online and where vulnerable people are routinely targeted for exploitation, this is a commendable ambition.
Much of the discussion of the new rules has centred on what the Act means for social media companies. The spread of social media in recent decades has irrevocably changed the world, making it easier for friends, families and colleagues to stay connected more closely than ever before. Accompanying this is a new set of risks and dangers which the Act seeks to address.
Social media giants such as Facebook, X or Instagram now face a potentially enormous fine – of up to 10% of their global revenues – if they fail to implement robust measures against illegal online content. These new measures create welcome and important incentives for these firms to properly combat abusive and extremist material. ...