Social media platforms, including Facebook and X, remain obligated to adhere to UK laws, despite Meta's recent decision to modify its fact-checking rules in the United States. Science Secretary Peter Kyle voiced his dissatisfaction with Meta's approach, emphasizing the disparity between the company's actions and UK legislative requirements. The recent rule change by Meta, as cited by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, aims to reduce the removal of "innocent" posts but may result in moderators catching fewer harmful contents. This has sparked a debate on the efficacy and reach of the UK's current online safety measures.
The Online Safety Act, enacted in 2023, was designed to hold social media companies accountable for eliminating "legal-but-harmful" content. However, internet safety advocates have raised concerns about inadequacies in UK regulations, particularly the absence of specific provisions for live streaming or content promoting self-harm and suicide. Peter Kyle criticized the existing laws as "very uneven" and "unsatisfactory," highlighting the need for comprehensive reform to address these gaps effectively.
Meta has assured that there will be "no change to how we treat content that encourages suicide, self-injury, and eating disorders." The company intends to maintain its automated systems for identifying high-severity content. Despite these assurances, the decision has not alleviated concerns among campaigners and affected families. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly Russell tragically ended her life after exposure to harmful online content at age 14, has called on the prime minister to strengthen internet safety regulations. Russell expressed his belief that the UK is "going backwards" on internet safety, urging Parliament to expedite the process of updating laws to keep pace with technological advancements.
Peter Kyle characterized Meta's announcement as "an American statement for American service users," underscoring the geographical limitation of the new rule change. Mark Zuckerberg described this approach as a "laissez-faire, anything-goes model" for social media companies, which further fuels apprehension about its implications for user safety globally.