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Children's charities welcome plans to appoint social media regulator

2 mins read Safeguarding and child protection
Children’s charities have welcomed government plans for a national regulator to protect vulnerable young people online.
A child is subject to online abuse every 16 minutes in England and Wales, the NSPCC says. Picture: Adobe Stock/posed by model
A child is subject to online abuse every 16 minutes in England and Wales, the NSPCC says. Picture: Adobe Stock/posed by model

Media watchdog Ofcom is set to be appointed to enforce rules making internet companies, including social media channels, responsible for their users’ safety.

The first response to the government’s Online Harms consultation, carried out in 2019, reveals plans to crack down on providers who do not protect children from threats including online sexual abuse, cyberbullying and access to self-harm and suicide forums.

The new rules will apply to firms hosting user-generated content, including comments, forums and video-sharing. This could include sites popular with young people including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok, which are currently self-regulated.

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