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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/12/big-web-firms-may-face-prosecution-over-online-abuse
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| Big web firms may face prosecution over online abuse | Big web firms may face prosecution over online abuse |
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| The UK government should fine or even prosecute big web companies if they fail to tackle racist, extremist or child sex abuse content, an influential committee will recommend. | The UK government should fine or even prosecute big web companies if they fail to tackle racist, extremist or child sex abuse content, an influential committee will recommend. |
| The prime minister’s ethics watchdog, which has been examining the intimidation of candidates in the June election, will recommend shifting the liability to social media firms that have historically argued they are not publishers, according to the Times. | |
| The committee on standards in public life is to publish its report on Wednesday. Its chair, Lord Bew, has previously said the committee was frustrated that big web companies did not do more, given their resources. “We are less than hugely impressed by what they have done,” he wrote. | |
| Theresa May has already proposed potential new sanctions to prompt companies to take down extremist content being shared by terrorist groups within two hours, alongside her French and Italian counterparts, Emmanuel Macron and Paolo Gentiloni. | Theresa May has already proposed potential new sanctions to prompt companies to take down extremist content being shared by terrorist groups within two hours, alongside her French and Italian counterparts, Emmanuel Macron and Paolo Gentiloni. |
| In one submission to the committee, the Electoral Commission suggested that banning social media trolls from voting could help reduce the abuse directed at politicians. | In one submission to the committee, the Electoral Commission suggested that banning social media trolls from voting could help reduce the abuse directed at politicians. |
| It said election legislation should be reviewed and new offences could be introduced. | It said election legislation should be reviewed and new offences could be introduced. |
| A BBC survey found that 87% of MPs experienced abuse during the 2017 general election campaign, with half of the 113 MPs who responded telling the Radio 5 Live survey it was the worst campaign they had experienced in terms of abuse. | A BBC survey found that 87% of MPs experienced abuse during the 2017 general election campaign, with half of the 113 MPs who responded telling the Radio 5 Live survey it was the worst campaign they had experienced in terms of abuse. |
| One Labour MP said someone had threatened to bomb her office and another MP claimed to have had a “bottle smashed on me”. | One Labour MP said someone had threatened to bomb her office and another MP claimed to have had a “bottle smashed on me”. |
| During the inquiry, Bew said many MPs and other politicians thought the intimidation went far beyond what should be expected in the rough and tumble of debate. | During the inquiry, Bew said many MPs and other politicians thought the intimidation went far beyond what should be expected in the rough and tumble of debate. |
| “Many contributors to our review accept that you need a thick skin in public life; it goes with the territory. But our evidence also shows that some of what has been happening in recent years is something very different,” he wrote. | “Many contributors to our review accept that you need a thick skin in public life; it goes with the territory. But our evidence also shows that some of what has been happening in recent years is something very different,” he wrote. |
| “Intimidation isn’t simply a case of ‘taking debate too far’. Participants at our roundtable observed that persistent abuse, particularly on social media, is actually aimed deliberately at shutting down debate – the online equivalent of shouting someone down so they can’t be heard. | “Intimidation isn’t simply a case of ‘taking debate too far’. Participants at our roundtable observed that persistent abuse, particularly on social media, is actually aimed deliberately at shutting down debate – the online equivalent of shouting someone down so they can’t be heard. |
| “Tackling intimidation, far from threatening genuine democratic debate and scrutiny, will actually serve to enhance and protect it.” | “Tackling intimidation, far from threatening genuine democratic debate and scrutiny, will actually serve to enhance and protect it.” |