- Ofcom has strengthened its online safety codes of practice, introducing new measures that require technology platforms to establish protocols for responding to surges in illegal content during crisis situations.
- The communications watchdog emphasised that illegal content spreading rapidly online poses a significant threat to public safety, citing the 2024 Southport riots where false information about an attacker's identity fuelled widespread violence.
- Under the updated rules, tech firms are expected to act promptly and effectively during crises, managing significant increases in illegal content and preventing their platforms from being used to commit or facilitate criminal offences.
- Ofcom mandates that platforms deploy temporary response teams as soon as a crisis occurs, conduct post-crisis analysis of their actions, and for large platforms, establish dedicated communication channels with law enforcement for sharing crisis-related information.
- These strengthened codes, which address issues like false communications and state-sponsored misinformation, must be presented to Parliament by the Government before they can officially come into effect, with no specific timeline currently announced.
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