Tom Gordon MP Calls for Stronger Regulation of Social Media Giants Amid Concerns Over Harmful Content

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has called for tighter regulation of social media platforms following his contributions to a recent Parliamentary debate on online safety and technology regulation.

Speaking as a member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, Mr Gordon reflected on the findings of a new report into online safety and AI. He also highlighted the overlap with his work on the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which is currently conducting an inquiry into artificial intelligence and human rights.

“One of the most striking moments during the Committee’s inquiry,” Mr Gordon said, “was hearing from social media company executives, who proudly claimed that they remove most harmful content within 10 minutes in 90% of cases. But what they failed to accept is responsibility for the way that same content spreads beyond their platforms, into encrypted spaces and other corners of the internet.”

He continued, “As technology rapidly advances, our regulatory framework must keep pace. I’m deeply concerned that some companies are now rolling back their moderation tools and safeguards at the very time we need them most.”

Mr Gordon urged ministers to take stronger action to ensure social media companies are held accountable for the harms caused by content shared on and beyond their platforms.

He added, “We cannot afford to let these tech giants mark their own homework. Regulation must be robust, consistent, and future-proofed so that harmful content is properly addressed wherever it spreads.”

ENDS

 • Tom Gordon MP is a member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

 •The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee recently published a report examining misinformation, algorithms, and the impact these had on the riots last summer.

• The Joint Committee on Human Rights is currently holding an inquiry into AI and human rights, with overlapping issues concerning content moderation, privacy, and algorithmic decision-making.