‘Protect children from online harm ...or be kicked out’

SOCIAL media firms could be heavily fined or banned from the UK under plans to protect children from online harm.

- By Martyn Brown Political Editor

Ofcom has published the final version of its children’s codes, part of the Online Safety Act. The watchdog claims the “reset for children online” will mean “safer social media feeds” — but some activists think it does not go far enough.

The codes set out a duty to protect children from content that is misogynistic, violent, hateful or abusive as well as safeguarding against bullying, self-harm and dangerous challenges.

The regulator says it will be able to impose fines from July 25 and in very serious cases it can seek a court order to exclude sites from the UK. More than 27,000 children and 13,000 parents helped to develop the codes.