PRESS RELEASE : Readout of Technology Secretary’s meeting with social media companies on antisemitism and violence online [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 October 2023.
Readout from the Technology Secretary’s roundtable with social media companies on 11 October 2023.
The Technology Secretary today convened UK leaders of social media companies Google, Meta, X, TikTok and Snapchat to discuss the proliferation of antisemitism and extremely violent content following Hamas’ acts of terrorism in Israel.
In the meeting, the Technology Secretary asked social media platforms to clearly set out what action they were taking to swiftly remove illegal content and content that breaches their terms and conditions. She specifically urged the platforms to step up their actions to keep children safe from violent content from these acts of terrorism.
Secretary of State was clear she wanted to see action and the companies were clear that they are ready to act swiftly to protect users and stop the spread of terrorism and antisemitism online. The Secretary of State noted that the next few days will reveal their preparedness, and asked for each company to follow up in writing to confirm the steps they are taking to tackle extremely violent and antisemitic content.
The meeting comes ahead of the Online Safety Bill receiving Royal Assent which, when it becomes law, will for the first time place a legal duty on companies to remove illegal content from their platforms, enforce the agreements they make with users through their terms, and keep children safe online. Under the bill, if platforms fail to comply they could face severe fines from Ofcom, and executives could even face prison.
