Wiltshire PCC welcomes Ofcom being awarded new powers to regulate social media firms

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Angus Macpherson has responded with positivity and support to the news that social media firms are to be overseen by regulator Ofcom.

Until now, online based organisations such as Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter have largely been self-regulating. But it has now been confirmed new powers are to be awarded to the watchdog Ofcom who will be able to issue specific penalties in order to target violence, cyber-bullying and child abuse related content occurring on the platforms.

 

Ofcom currently only regulates the media, not internet safety, but the government has announced the new controls as part of its plans for a new legal duty of care.

 

Police and Crime Commissioner, Angus Macpherson, commented “The news these large companies are finally being held more accountable is very much welcomed. It’s an issue which needs to be addressed and I supported when the plans were initially announced. We all have a duty to safeguard children and people who are at risk and this is a step further towards protecting those who are most vulnerable.

 

“The issue of online safety is a growing concern and is only going to get worse if we don’t get efficient preventative measures in place. Ofcom taking proactive measures to protect people from harmful content such as violence, terrorism, cyber-bullying and child abuse is a really positive move in the right direction. It’s reassuring to hear the online platforms will be ensuring concerning content is removed quickly as well as minimising the risk of it appearing at all.

 

“At Wiltshire Police we have two dedicated cyber prevent and protect officers specifically recruited to support and advise businesses and the community, young people and their parents and carers on keeping themselves safe online. The capability of the team will grow in the future to reflect and recognise the increase in cyber crime and the related risk to our communities. But we can’t do it alone and it’s reassuring social media companies are accepting they have an important role to play.”