Legal duty of care on online companies ‘incredibly valuable in the fight against child exploitation’

The government has set out details of a proposed duty of care for online companies which will mean social media sites, websites, apps and other services which host user-generated content or allow people to talk to others online will have to remove and limit the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse.

Responding to this announcement the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said:

“I have been saying for some time now that although online regulation is difficult it is clearly the only way to ensure that all tech and social media companies take their responsibilities seriously; so this announcement from the Government is warmly welcomed.

“Placing a duty of care on these companies has the potential to be incredibly valuable in the fight against child exploitation on the internet. Keeping our young people safe online is not something the police can do alone and we will work closely with tech companies to ensure they are playing their part in efforts to protect children and apprehend offenders.”