In a disappointing turn of events, Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has released a watered-down online safety code that fails to adequately address the pressing issue of holding tech giants accountable for the harms facilitated on their platforms. The narrowly focused, technocratic approach leaves gaping holes for both online predators and the profit-driven companies that enable them to thrive.
A Crucial Misstep: Omitting Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention
One of the most glaring omissions in Ofcom’s code is the lack of targeted measures to combat websites promoting suicide and self-harm. This oversight is particularly dismaying, as vulnerable individuals, especially young people, are at heightened risk of exposure to such harmful content online. By failing to prioritize this critical issue, Ofcom has missed an opportunity to protect lives and promote digital wellbeing.
Government Inaction: A Failure to Prioritize Safety
Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, had the power to overrule Ofcom on key decisions but chose not to intervene. This lack of action is disappointing, as stronger rules governing attention-greedy algorithms, messaging, and age assurance could have made a significant difference in protecting users, particularly children, from online harms. The government’s reluctance to take a firmer stance sends a troubling message about its priorities.
“The self-serving utopianism which Meta, Alphabet, X, and others used to market their products convinces few these days. Not many would deny that the darkest aspects of human nature thrive on these platforms alongside their positive uses.”
– Anonymous industry insider
Uneven Playing Field: Small Providers Left to Their Own Devices
Ofcom’s code is unduly lenient in permitting smaller providers to operate with much less strict rules. This creates an uneven playing field and potentially allows harmful content to flourish on these platforms. While larger tech companies have more resources to invest in safety measures, all providers should be held to a consistent standard to ensure a safer online environment for everyone.
Misplaced Focus: Content Over Design
The current balance in Ofcom’s code is tilted too heavily towards content, neglecting the crucial role of platform design in enabling or mitigating online harms. By focusing primarily on individual pieces of content rather than the underlying systems that promote and amplify them, the code fails to address the root causes of the problem. A more comprehensive approach that considers the impact of algorithms, recommendation systems, and other design features is necessary to create meaningful change.
Campaigners Call for Stronger Measures
Charities and advocacy groups, such as the Molly Rose Foundation, NSPCC, and 5Rights Foundation, have been pressing for effective regulation rather than outright bans on social media for children. They argue that the internet must be made safer, not simply placed off-limits. In light of Ofcom’s inadequate code, these organizations are justifiably questioning whether the regulator is up to the task of holding tech giants accountable and protecting vulnerable users.
The Human Cost of Inaction
Behind the debates over regulation and corporate responsibility lie real human lives impacted by online harms. Violent material, including child abuse, takes a severe toll on both the workers in the industry and the users exposed to it. When these harms extend beyond the screen and influence offline behavior, the consequences ripple throughout society, burdening teachers, law enforcement, and families who must deal with the fallout.
“Harm reduction, rather than compliance, should have been the overarching goal. Ministers should have faced down the threat of legal challenges and insisted on making people, particularly children, their priority.”
– Online safety advocate
The Way Forward: Strengthening Government Resolve
As Ofcom prepares to release a second code next year, addressing issues such as the role of social media in fueling riots and racist violence, the government must strengthen its resolve to hold tech companies accountable. The alternative, as the Guardian editorial board warns, is “cowardly complicity” in the face of corporate interests.
It is time for ministers to stand up to big tech and prioritize the safety and well-being of the public over the profits of a few powerful companies. Only by closing the loopholes, enforcing consistent standards, and focusing on harm reduction rather than mere compliance can we hope to create a safer, more responsible online environment for all.
The stakes are high, and the consequences of inaction are far-reaching. The government must act now to ensure that Ofcom is empowered and willing to hold the world’s biggest businesses accountable for the harms they enable. Anything less is a betrayal of the public trust and a failure to protect the most vulnerable among us.
