Britain to tackle ‘Wild West’ Internet with new laws

Britain's Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Matt Hancock, and Labour Party Shadow International Trade Secretary, Barry Gardiner, appear on the BBC's Marr Show in London, Britain, May 20, 2018. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS

LONDON: Britain will tackle “the Wild West elements” on the Internet from cyberbullying to online child exploitation by introducing new laws for social media companies, digital minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday.

Launching a consultation on what measures should be used to ensure the safety of those using the Internet, Hancock said the government would publish a white paper – a policy document that sets out proposals for future legislation – later this year and aim to bring in new laws “in the next couple of years”.