UK MPs demand tax on social media companies

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A group of MPs is demanding a profit tax from social media companies, claiming that these companies operate in a "Wild West Online".

His report, which follows a one-year survey on the impact of social media on health, indicates that the industry should do more to protect children and youth online.

The government has to publish its own proposals in a few weeks.

It indicates that all sorts of steps are being explored to increase online security.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media and Mental Health and Well-Being invited experts, charities, parents and youth to testify in its survey.

Social media has had many positive effects, including acting as a supportive community and a place to learn, but it could also expose young people to cyberbullying, self-harm, and feelings of low self-esteem.

The report acknowledged that there is still a lack of solid scientific evidence that social media is actually causing mental health problems among young people, but said that precautionary measures should be taken to minimize any potential harm.

Last month, the Chief Medical Officers of Health of the United Kingdom issued guidelines on film time, saying that children should take a break every two hours in screen-based activities and that phones should only not leave the bedroom at bedtime.

The main recommendations of the report include:

• Create a social social media alliance for health, funded by a 0.5% tax on the profits of social media companies, to fund research and develop clearer guidelines at the same time. public intention

• Introduce a duty of care for all social media companies with UK registered users aged 24 or under

• consider whether the "addictive" nature of social media is sufficient to clbadify it as an official disease

• commission extensive research to understand the impact of social media on youth mental health

The report, written with the Royal Society of Public Health, says companies such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are starting to tackle health issues, but improvements are still possible.

Chris Elmore, MP, president of the APPG on Social Media and Mental Health and Youth Well-Being, said the report was a wake-up call for meaningful action.

"For too long, social media companies have been allowed to operate in a" wild west "online.

"And it's in this lawless landscape that our kids are working and playing online.That can not continue.As the report indicates, it's time for the government to act."

Shirley Cramer CBE, CEO of RSPH, said the priority was regulation and the duty to protect vulnerable users in a "lawless digital playground".

She also said that she wanted the industry to support additional research to improve our understanding of health issues as well as the benefits of social media.

"We hope that our findings will be recognized and included in the forthcoming White Paper of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, so that young people can manage their relationships with social media in ways that protect and promote their mental rights, health and well-being, "said Ms. Cramer.

A government spokeswoman said, "The government will soon release a white paper that will outline the responsibilities of online platforms, explain how these responsibilities should be badumed, and what would happen if they are not.

"An Internet regulator, a statutory" duty of care "on platforms, and a tax on social media companies are all measures that we envision as part of our work.