Britain has proposed sweeping new government powers to regulate the internet to combat the spread of violent and extremist content, false information and harmful material aimed at children. The recommendations take aim at Facebook, Google and other large internet platforms that policymakers believe have prioritised growth and profits over limiting harmful material. “The internet can be brilliant at connecting people across the world, but for too long these companies have not done enough to protect users, especially children and young people, from harmful content,” Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement. “That is not good enough, and it is time to do things differently.” In response to the growing political backlash worldwide, internet companies have toughened their policies and hired tens of thousands of moderators to screen problematic material. But with billions of pieces of content being shared each day on services like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, deciphering what is harmful isn’t always an easy task, and governments have criticized the companies for not being aggressive enough.

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