The U.K. unveiled plans on Monday to vastly increase government oversight of social media companies, with a first of its kind watchdog that could fine executives or even ban companies if they fail to block content such as terrorist propaganda or images of child abuse.
As concerns mount globally over how to monitor internet material without stifling free speech, the British proposal reflects a push by some countries - particularly in Europe but also Australia and New Zealand - to give regulators more power.
While the United States has largely relied on market forces to regulate content in a country where free speech is revered, governments in Europe have signalled they are willing to take on the tech companies to block harmful content and prevent extremists from using the internet to fan the flames of hatred.
Australian last week made it a crime for social media platforms not to quickly remove "abhorrent violent material." The crime would be punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 10.5 million Australian dollars , or 10% of the platform's annual turnover, whichever is larger. The bill has been controversial, with some lawmakers and digital rights groups criticizing the one-hour rule. They say it places a much bigger burden on smaller internet companies than on tech giants like Facebook and Google, which have greater resources.
As governments press to have the tech giants take on moral accountability, the challenge for the companies will be to translate that idea into the software, said Mark Skilton, a professor of practice at Warwick Business School. Politicians and technical experts need to work on the "shared problem" of providing guidance and control that is not excessively intrusive, he said.
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