UK internet censorship regulations take effect
Britain may soon impose fines on social media giants, penalizing them up to 10% of their annual earnings if they do not effectively remove illegal content. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Britain's latest online censorship law was initiated on Monday, as the country's telecoms regulator released a list detailing the content that social media companies must eliminate to avoid hefty fines.
Ofcom, the UK government's media and telecommunications authority, outlined a set of guidelines that platforms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok are required to follow by March. Failure to comply could lead to severe penalties under the Online Safety Act, which was enacted in 2023.
The guidelines encompass a range of 130 illegal activities that these platforms are obligated to prohibit, including incitement to terrorism, human trafficking, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Other banned activities include the “stirring up of racial hatred” or “hatred on the basis of religion or sexual orientation,” which, while not clearly defined, are already considered illegal under British law.
Some violations are categorized as “complex,” according to Ofcom. “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 initial draft of the Online Safety Act featured a provision that would have prohibited certain "legal but harmful" content. However, this clause was removed last year after then Business and Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch expressed concerns that it constituted “legislating for hurt feelings.”
Despite this, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly contemplated reintroducing the contentious clause following a surge of anti-immigration and anti-Islam riots in the UK last August. However, he ultimately opted against it, according to a spokesperson from his office.
Companies that do not adhere to Ofcom’s new regulations risk fines reaching up to 10% of their global annual revenue, with a cap set at £18 million. In cases of repeated violations, individual managers may face imprisonment, and Ofcom may pursue a court order to block access to a platform within the UK.
Ofcom has indicated that the regulations will apply to over 100,000 companies worldwide, ranging from major social media networks to “very small” providers in entertainment, dating, gambling, and other online sectors.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
Ofcom, the UK government's media and telecommunications authority, outlined a set of guidelines that platforms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok are required to follow by March. Failure to comply could lead to severe penalties under the Online Safety Act, which was enacted in 2023.
The guidelines encompass a range of 130 illegal activities that these platforms are obligated to prohibit, including incitement to terrorism, human trafficking, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Other banned activities include the “stirring up of racial hatred” or “hatred on the basis of religion or sexual orientation,” which, while not clearly defined, are already considered illegal under British law.
Some violations are categorized as “complex,” according to Ofcom. “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 initial draft of the Online Safety Act featured a provision that would have prohibited certain "legal but harmful" content. However, this clause was removed last year after then Business and Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch expressed concerns that it constituted “legislating for hurt feelings.”
Despite this, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly contemplated reintroducing the contentious clause following a surge of anti-immigration and anti-Islam riots in the UK last August. However, he ultimately opted against it, according to a spokesperson from his office.
Companies that do not adhere to Ofcom’s new regulations risk fines reaching up to 10% of their global annual revenue, with a cap set at £18 million. In cases of repeated violations, individual managers may face imprisonment, and Ofcom may pursue a court order to block access to a platform within the UK.
Ofcom has indicated that the regulations will apply to over 100,000 companies worldwide, ranging from major social media networks to “very small” providers in entertainment, dating, gambling, and other online sectors.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
