International

Social Media Must Follow UK Law Despite Meta’s Changes – Minister

Published

7 hours ago

Jan 12, 2025.

Dennis

Peter Kyle insists social media platforms must comply with UK laws despite Meta’s changes.
Ian Russell calls for tighter internet safety rules following Meta and X’s relaxed policies.
UK government pledges stronger enforcement of online safety laws to protect users.

Social media platforms like Facebook and X will still be required to adhere to UK law, according to Science Secretary Peter Kyle, following Meta’s decision to revise rules on fact-checking.

Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this week that the change, only affecting the US would lead to content moderators “catching less bad stuff” but also reducing the removal of “innocent” posts.

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Eko Hot Blog gathered that Kyle responded to the shift on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, stating that the announcement was “an American statement for American service users.” He emphasized, “If you operate in this country, you must follow the law, and the law mandates that illegal content must be taken down.”

Ian Russell, father of Molly Russell, who tragically took her life at 14 after viewing harmful content online, called for stronger internet safety rules. He expressed concern that the UK was “going backwards” on the issue and criticized Zuckerberg and X CEO Elon Musk for adopting a more relaxed, “laissez-faire” approach. He claimed the companies were allowing harmful content, like that which Molly was exposed to, to resurface.

A Meta spokesperson reassured the BBC that there had been “no change” in how they handle content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, stressing that their automated systems would continue to detect such high-risk content.

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Campaigners for internet safety have raised concerns about gaps in the UK’s laws, including a lack of specific regulations for live streaming or content that promotes suicide and self-harm. Kyle acknowledged that current online safety laws were “uneven” and “unsatisfactory.”

The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, originally included measures requiring social media companies to remove “legal-but-harmful” content, like posts promoting eating disorders.

However, this plan was scrapped after concerns about potential censorship. Instead, companies must give users more control over the content they see, while still ensuring the protection of children from harmful material.

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Kyle expressed frustration over the change but did not indicate whether he would reintroduce the original proposal. He highlighted that the Act contained strong powers to address new safety issues and that ministers would soon have the authority to ensure platforms provide age-appropriate content.

Companies failing to comply would face “very strident” penalties, he warned. Kyle also stressed the need for Parliament to update the law more quickly to keep pace with new technologies and indicated he was “very open-minded” about introducing new legislation.