The British government announced that it is proposing new legislation that will ensure social media companies remove subtle forms of antisemitism from their platforms.
The legislation will not only go after illegal hate speech on platforms but will go a step further and mandate that the tech firms remove nuanced antisemitism that frequently slips past their own regulations, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
According to UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan, social media companies are “letting hate flourish, knowing that it drives clicks and engagement.”
Donelan accused the companies of “prioritized profit over people,” according to the news outlet.
She announced legislation on Tuesday that would force social media companies to comply “to the letter” on online hate.
The proposal contains two new laws. The first would go after antisemitism that is already illegal but often slips through the crack on social media sites. The second would compel companies to take down content that might not be illegal but violates their own terms and conditions.
The minister said this would go after “the more subtle forms of antisemitism, such as conspiracy theories and abusive comparisons.”
If tech companies fail to remove such content they face fines of up to 10 percent of their annual revenue and would have to tell users that they were at fault, part of a “name-and-shame provision” asked for by Jewish organizations.
“Under my changes to the bill, the terms and conditions that platforms set on antisemitism will have to be enforced to the letter,” Donelan told the news outlet. “No longer will they be allowed to treat some sections of society differently to others.”