Ofcom has issued an open letter to the UK Online Service Providers, emphasizing their duty to manage harmful content. The letter addresses the recent civil unrest in the UK, which followed a violent incident in Southport on July 29.
Although the initial attack triggered the unrest, online speculation and misinformation about the attacker seemed to escalate the situation and amplify various socio-political grievances.
Ofcom’s letter demands that UK video-sharing platforms improve their systems to prevent the spread of videos that could incite violence or hatred. The letter stated, “We expect video-sharing platforms to have effective systems in place to anticipate and address harmful video material related to these events.”
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The letter also warned that once Ofcom finalizes its codes of practice and guidance under the Online Safety Act later this year, regulated services will have three months to evaluate and mitigate the risk of illegal content and to act promptly when such content is identified.
Notably, the letter avoids mentioning ‘misinformation’ directly, though the situation illustrates how misleading information can lead to real harm.
The challenge for online platforms is significant, given the rapid spread of information across multiple digital channels, making timely and effective censorship difficult. Even with robust efforts to remove illegal content, preventing the spread of harmful misinformation remains a complex task.
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The company acknowledges the difficulty in managing content and urges platforms to take proactive measures now rather than wait for the new Online Safety Act regulations.
Gill Whitehead, Ofcom’s Group Director for Online Safety, concluded, “New safety duties will be in place soon, but you can act now to make your sites and apps safer for users.”
Although a link to the forthcoming duties would have been useful, it remains a challenge for Ofcom to balance effective content moderation with avoiding overreach in its efforts to combat harmful material online.
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