Social media companies will be overseen by independent regulator, pledges government

The government has pledged to develop a regulatory framework to make clear the responsibilities that social media companies have to their users.1

It said that the framework would establish a duty of care towards all UK users and would be overseen by a new independent regulator with statutory powers.

It made the pledge in response to a report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on the impact of social media on young people’s health, published in January.2 This called for a regulator to be appointed by the …