UK regulator demands video platforms do more to protect users

FILE PHOTO: A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDance's app TikTok, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 18, 2019. Picture taken October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT./File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Online video sharing platforms (VSPs), such as TikTok, Snapchat and OnlyFans, need to provide clear rules on content, allow users to flag harmful videos, and restrict access to pornographic material, Britain's media regulator Ofcom said.

Under laws that came into effect in Britain last year, VSPs must take appropriate steps to protect all of their users from illegal material, with a particular focus on under 18s.