U.K. Regulators Propose Broad Social Media Regulations To Counter 'Online Harms'

Terrorists groups using the Internet to spread propaganda. Criminal gangs inciting violence over social media. Sexual predators going online to groom children for exploitation.

These are some of the harms the United Kingdom has identified that spread via social media platforms. To counter those harms, the U.K. plans to require social media companies to be much more active in removing and countering harmful material on their platforms. The sweeping 102-page paper envisions requirements for everything from ensuring an accurate news environment, to combating hate speech, to stamping out cyberbullying.

The proposal is the latest in a series of increased efforts by governments around the world to respond to harmful content online. Last year Germany imposed fines of up to $60 million if social media companies don't delete illegal content posted to their services. After the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, Australian lawmakers passed legislation subjecting social media executives to imprisonment if they don't quickly remove violent content. The U.K. proposal goes further than most by proposing the creation of a new regulatory body to monitor a broad array of harms and ensure companies comply.