(OPINION) Social media bosses who fail to censor “harmful” content on their sites should be jailed, plans announced by a UK minister have stipulated. According to Breitbart, Technology and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan has announced plans to see social media executives thrown in jail should they fail to censor so-called “harmful” content on their websites.
The jail threat is to be part of the UK’s Online Safety Bill, a widespread censorship plan that some tech giants claim will also effectively ban end-to-end encryption for private internet users.
As it currently stands, the bill will give control of social media regulation to Britain’s broadcasting regulator Ofcom, which mandates platforms under its control to censor “all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify hatred” based on various progressive characteristics, including transgenderism.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Donelan has now confirmed that she wants any social media boss who ignores the new restrictions to be jailed, justifying such an extreme measure with reference to protecting children.
Such a measure will reportedly be used as a last resort to deal with executives that “have consented or connived in ignoring enforceable requirements” to censor content, including so-called “disinformation” from a foreign state, which government officials claim would amount to “risking serious harm to children”.
Companies will also face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue should they dare to ignore Britain’s demands to preemptively delete or obscure posts violating its coming censorship regime.
Backed by wide-swathes of the Tory party, the Online Safety Bill has been met with horror from a number of big tech companies, who have warned that the legislation would effectively kill privacy on many parts of the internet.
