In a move timed to coincide with Safer Internet Day, the UK is planning a legal crack-down on harmful content online. According to digital minister Margot James, voluntary codes have failed, and platforms should be made legally responsible for user-generated content on their sites. The move follows the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life last November after viewing self-harm and suicide posts on Instagram. "We will introduce laws that force social media platforms to remove illegal content, and to prioritise the protection of users beyond their commercial interests," she says. Social media platforms already remove illegal content, after all - just rather slowly.

Source: Forbes February 05, 2019 14:48 UTC