Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Drew Hendry and Jeremy Wright

Thursday 7th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to tackle harmful online behaviour.

[The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Jeremy Wright)]

More needs to be done to tackle harmful online content and to make it clear that social media platforms have responsibilities to their users. Our forthcoming White Paper will set out those responsibilities, how they should be met and what should happen if they are not.

[Drew Hendry]

On this issue, the Health Secretary said in January:

“It would be far better to do it in concert with the social media companies, but if we think…that they’re refusing to do so, then we can and we must legislate.”

What legislation is the Culture Secretary planning, and will he confirm whether this includes plans for an independent social media regulator?

[Jeremy Wright]

I agree with the Health Secretary, and I have made it clear on a number of occasions that I believe the era of self-regulation must come to an end in this space. But the hon. Gentleman will understand that this is not just a complex matter, but a subject on which it is important to put forward our proposals in the round. We will do that in the White Paper that he will see shortly, and in that he will see what proposals we make for further legislation.