Report urges UK government to beef up online safety measure

A file photo of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen after giving evidence to the joint committee for the Draft Online Safety Bill at the Houses of Parliament, in London. A group of lawmakers say proposed British rules aimed at cracking down on harmful online content should be beefed up with tougher measures. — AP

LONDON: Proposed British rules aimed at cracking down on harmful online content should be beefed up with tougher measures like making it illegal to send unsolicited graphic images, requiring porn sites to ensure children can’t gain access and moving faster to hold tech executives criminally liable for failing to uphold the regulations, lawmakers said in a new report.

The committee of lawmakers recommended a series of major changes to the UK government’s draft online safety bill early Tuesday that would make digital and social media companies more responsible for protecting users from child abuse, racist content and other harmful material found on their platforms.