Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said it was “very important” companies like Facebook and Twitter have UK staff who can quickly identify hate language. His comments yesterday came as the Daily Express began a campaign demanding more action to unmask trolls and tear down their cloak of anonymity. We believe Twitter, Facebook, its offshoot Instagram and others should make people use their real names.
Celebrities and sports stars say keyboard assassins would give up their toxic attacks if forced to reveal themselves.
Mr Dowden was asked by Tory MP Saqib Bhatti if social media firms should hire UK moderators who “understand nuances in the English language”.
Mr Dowden said: “Many people are concerned moderators are not actually based in the UK and speed of response is crucial.
“Through our Online Safety Bill we will require social media companies to take swift and effective action against criminal abuse online.
“We’ll put in place effective user reporting and redress mechanisms.”
Our campaign is backed by Daily Express columnist Richard Madeley and Professional Footballers’ Association deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes.
Bobby said merely taking down offensive online posts when they appeared was not enough.
Richard added: “If you had to register, a lot of these people would not bother to go on and send threatening or criminal messages.”
Facebook said: “We have dedicated market teams made up of specialists with local knowledge about the country for reports that need local context. This includes a dedicated team that covers the UK.”
