Social Media: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media platforms are safe by design and are responsible for preventing harm, via the exposure of vulnerable adults and children, to racist, antisemitic or misogynistic content through their algorithm systems.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
On 15 June, the government published a progress statement announcing a ban on social media services from providing their services to under 16s, alongside targeted functionality restrictions on a wider range of online services, including a default on restrictions for 16 and 17 year olds.
As set out in the government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities, providers are expected to embed safety by design to deliver safe experiences for all users, including in respect to how algorithms operate. Ofcom is also due to consult on additional duties for the largest services to provide adults with further user empowerment tools to help protect them from harmful content.
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