The Government has told social media companies to remove content that celebrates dangerous driving following a fatal collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough in which seven people died.
Defence minister Luke Pollard said platforms had been contacted over material showing or glorifying dangerous behaviour on the roads and called on companies to remove such content and prevent algorithms from promoting it.
His comments follow Saturday’s collision in South Bank, where Cleveland Police said a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the A66 collided with a marked police vehicle travelling in the correct direction.
Two serving Cleveland Police officers and the five occupants of the Passat died at the scene.
Government calls on platforms to act
Pollard told broadcasters on Monday that social media companies should act immediately against content celebrating dangerous driving.
He said the Government had already communicated with platforms hosting such material and argued that companies should also ensure their algorithms do not reward or amplify dangerous behaviour through views and financial incentives.
Pollard said powers under the Online Safety Act could be used if platforms failed to deal with harmful content covered by the legislation.
The Online Safety Act places duties on social media companies and search services to protect users from illegal content and to protect children from harmful material. Ofcom is responsible for regulating the regime.
TikTok says dangerous content breaches its rules
TikTok said its policies prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm, including dangerous driving, and that it removes videos and accounts which breach those rules.
The company said it proactively removes the overwhelming majority of content it identifies as violating those policies.
The Government’s intervention raises a wider question over how quickly platforms identify dangerous-driving material and whether recommendation systems can encourage users to create increasingly extreme content in pursuit of attention.
Seven people died in A66 collision
Cleveland Police said the collision happened at around 3.39am on Saturday 22 August.
The force confirmed that the Passat was travelling the wrong way along the A66 when it collided with the marked police vehicle.
All seven occupants of the two vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which Cleveland Police said is mandatory when a death occurs following police contact.
Police urge public to avoid speculation
Cleveland Police has urged people not to speculate while investigations into the circumstances of the collision continue.
The force has not said that social-media activity caused or contributed to the crash, and Ayes To The Right is not making any such connection.
The Government’s announcement concerns the separate issue of dangerous-driving content being shared and promoted online.
Pollard said platforms should demonstrate that they can enforce their own rules by removing material which celebrates dangerous behaviour on the roads.