UK Edition
Google and Facebook could be forced to take responsibility for everything posted on their sites as Government considers crackdown
Facebook and Google could be forced to uphold the same standards as newspapers and other publications as part of a Government crackdown, it has emerged.
Ministers are looking at whether to classify social media giants as publications instead of communication platforms, which would bind them to strict rules and make them responsible for everything they host.
It came as the Culture Secretary announced new rules to protect children online, including an industry-wide levy - potentially millions of pounds per company - to be spent on education.
New plans revealed by Karen Bradley also include compulsory internet safety lessons to teach children about the dangers of posting naked photos or sending them to people they meet online.
The measures are part of a crackdown on internet giants amid fears young people are increasingly at risk when using the internet.
Under current rules sites like Facebook cannot be sued for the content posted on their sites because it is published by an individual or group, unlike newspapers and other publishers which are held fully responsible.
Campaigners have long been calling for a change in the law as they believe it would force social media companies to take racist, sexist, terrorist material and child pornography posted on their platforms more seriously.
A spokesman for Theresa May confirmed that ministers are looking at a change in the law in a bid to address concerns.
It came after the chairman of media regulator Ofcom said businesses such as Google should be classed as publishers and lamented her inability to properly police their platforms.
The Number 10 spokesman said: "We are looking at the role Google and Facebook play in the news environment as part of the digital charter.
"We will look carefully at the roles, responsibilities and legal status of the major internet platforms."
Appearing at the digital, culture, media and sport committee of MPs in Parliament yesterday, Dame Patricia Hodgson said: "Those particular distribution systems [Facebook, etc] are not within Ofcom’s responsibility but we feel very strongly about the integrity of news in this country and we are totally supportive of steps that should and need to be taken to improve matters.
"My personal view is that they are publishers but that is only my personal view, that is not an Ofcom view. As I said Ofcom is simply concerned about the integrity of news and very supportive of the debate and the steps that are being taken.”
It came as the Government announced plans to make "Britain the safest place in the world to be online".
Ministers want to crack down on cyber-bullying and exploitation by consulting with social media platforms and others about how to better protect children and young people.
Plans include better education, a new code of practice, a levy on companies and an annual internet safety transparency report.
Karen Bradley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the Government is considering the status of Facebook and other online companies.
She said: “We are looking at their role and their responsibilities and we are looking at what their status should be.
“They are not legally publishers at this stage but we are looking at this issue.”
Meanwhile, she insisted the Tories were not “backing away” from a manifesto commitment to legislate to impose a levy on social media companies as she said a voluntary scheme could be preferable.
She said: “We are consulting on what is the best way to do this and if the best way to do this is to legislate then of course we will legislate.
“But if we can do it without legislating, which is quicker, more effective, gets a better result for everybody, then let’s not put ideology in front of actually delivering.”
The NSPCC welcomed the changes but called for more focus on children. A spokesman said: "Social media companies are marking their own homework when it comes to keeping children safe, so a code of practice is definitely a step in the right direction but ‘how’ it is implemented will be crucial.
“However, there’s no doubt a lack of focus on children is a missed opportunity. "
Teenagers are now 'digitally self harming' by posting anonymous hurtful comments about themselves online, researchers have warned.
Around six per cent of teens write abusive or critical posts about themselves on social media, according to a survey of more than 5,000 teenagers by the University of Wisconsin.
Writing in the Journal of Adolescent health, academics said the new phenomenon warranted 'additional attention' from schools and more research to find out if it was linked to physical self-harm or suicide.