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[Daffy Duck]

Good Lord our politicians are on drugs.

Internet giants Facebook and Twitter would be hit by a new tax under Government plans to clamp down on dangers like cyber-bullying, online abuse and underage-access to porn.

Ministers want money raised from the proposed levy to pay for schemes to raise people’s awareness of the dangers of the internet and to tackle their worst effects.

Web firms will have a chance to give their views on the levy being proposed by Culture Secretary Karen Bradley and even suggest alternatives, as part of a drive to make the UK the “safest place in the world” to be online.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...r-tax-new-porn-bullying-penalty-a7993401.html

 

[War Peaceman]

Social media companies have failed to address the problems of cyber bullying, abuse and propaganda. Something needs to be done to incentivise them into acting more appropriately. I don't know that this is the solution, but they should be taxed more anyway.

 

[pswii60]

So the UK government is at least trying to tackle some very real issues here but in doing so they 'are on drugs'?

 

[massoluk]

I have a guts feeling these platforms are disproportionately responsible for Cyber bullying than others, so they should pay more to combat the problem, no?

 

[liquidtmd]

drive to make the UK the “safest place in the world” to be online.

They know the internet is global now, right?

So the UK government is at least trying to tackle some very real issues here but in doing so they 'are on drugs'?

They are real issues, the trouble is like so many ideas of this Government, the devil is in the detail. Yes the article states there will be a consultation period, but so many of this Governments technology themed policy ideas are at best flawed and at worst, duplicitous and scummy.

The Digital Economy Bill is littered with problems, the Pirate Bay UK block can be circumnavigated in 5 seconds and the age verification of Porn sites coming in next year is full of holes. As mentioned, the issues raised in the OP are serious and require attention, but I don't blame people for being sceptical this isn't just a 'lets shake down the big rich names under the pretence of 'wont someone think of the children'.

Judgement reserved until full details known

 

[Atomic Playboy]

How will the tax apply to something like NeoGaf, which is small and does an excellent job moderating bullying, to something like Facebook, which is enormous and does a shit job moderating bullying? I get what they're going for but the devil is in the details.

 

[theWB27]

They know the internet is global now, right?



They are real issues, the trouble is like so many ideas of this Government, the devil is in the detail. Yes the article states there will be a consultation period, but so many of this Governments technology themed policy ideas are at best flawed and at worst, duplicitous and scummy.

The Digital Economy Bill is littered with problems, the Pirate Bay UK block can be circumnavigated in 5 seconds and the age verification of Porn sites coming in next year is full of holes. As mentioned, the issues raised in the OP are serious and require attention, but I don't blame people for being sceptical this isn't just a 'lets shake down the big rich names under the pretence of 'wont someone think of the children'.

Judgement reserved until full details known

If it helps social media get their shit together does it matter if the motive of the UK was only to get some money?

 

[Plasma]

"hit by a new tax"

How about making them just pay their regular tax in the first bloody place instead of taking settlements well below what they should be paying.

 

[Spectone]

How will the tax apply to something like NeoGaf, which is small and does an excellent job moderating bullying, to something like Facebook, which is enormous and does a shit job moderating bullying? I get what they're going for but the devil is in the details.

They would probably only target the larger players because the rest of the internet doesn't exist.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I do not deny there are issues with social media that need to be tackled, but simply saying oh I know a tax on that, that will solve the problem is not the solution in my eyes.

It’s their solution to every problem, just apply a tax to it and that will solve the problem.