With the internet and social media now impacting many aspects of our daily lives, the government is proposing that an internet regulator is appointed to help protect us from illegal content.
BuzzFeed News explains that the internet regulator would make tech firms liable for the content published on their platforms and it would have the power to sanction companies that do not comply in taking down illegal material and hate speech. The government is soon to publish a white paper laying out the proposal in mind.
The white paper is said to propose a regulatory body similar to Ofcom, which regulates broadcasters, telecoms and postal communication companies.
Part of the proposal includes a code of practice for social media platforms such as “takedown times”, this will force websites to remove illegal hate speech within a set timeframe or face consequences.
As well as this, there is a possibility that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will have to implement age verification. At the moment, children only have to tick a box to confirm they are over the age of 13, this has raised concerns amongst ministers.
There is also talk of creating a second regulator for online advertising, which is currently regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority. The second regulator will implement stern measures on online food and drink advertisements that promote products that are high in salt, fat or sugar.
Should the internet be regulated?
Here’s what our Digital Marketing Administrator, Mollie, has to say:
“Personally I think it would be a good idea, I do think that in terms of online, we as a society are not protected to the same extent as we are in the real world, and I also don’t think that a regulator would necessarily violate any principle of free speech, I think it would just encourage more responsible behaviour online which in turn would keep people, especially children, safer online and protected from any inappropriate or hateful content. However, I do believe there could be potential negatives, the main one being it could be harder to access information that is valuable”
Our director, Scott said:
“My initial reaction to this was sceptical with my biggest fear being how on earth a regulatory body would have the manpower to police it. However, having read a bit more about where and how it could be enforced I actually think this is a good idea. The internet, and in particular social media, exploded on to the scene and we have all essentially been willing guinea pigs in a live experiment – particularly over the last 10 years. We need to raise the standard of content on the internet significantly and ensure the wrong content is not accessible by the wrong audience and appointing a regulator is a step in the right direction. ”
So, would it be good, bad both?
It is clear that there could be potential positives and negatives to this legislation, so therefore, it could be argued that the answer to this question can only be answered when the legislation is firmly put in place.
Will it even happen?
The legalisation is still being examined in regards to what legalisation will be necessary and whether a regulator is needed.
So, after reading this article, do you think the internet should be regulated? Let us know what you think over on Twitter @VizulateDigital
References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45590297
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/uk-government-regulator-internet
