UK Social Media Giants Face £60000 Fines

UK Social Media Giants Face £60000 Fines

Social media companies operating in the United Kingdom now face hefty fines of up to £60,000 per instance if they fail to remove posts glorifying or advertising knife crime within 48 hours of a police warning.

The new sanctions, announced today by the government, expand on earlier measures targeting individual tech executives with personal fines of £10,000 for similar failures.

A Response to Rising Knife Crime

The UK is grappling with a surge in knife-related violence, with police data reporting over 50,000 knife crime offences in England and Wales in the past year—nearing record highs.

Homicides involving knives have claimed 225 lives in the 12 months to June 2024, according to anti-knife crime charities.

The accessibility of dangerous weapons like zombie knives and ninja swords, often advertised on social media platforms and online marketplaces, has drawn particular scrutiny.

High-profile cases, such as the 2022 murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda with a ninja sword purchased online, have galvanized public and political demands for action.

The government’s latest measures aim to hold tech giants accountable for what critics call a failure to police their platforms effectively.

Posts that glorify knife violence or market illegal weapons have been linked to the radicalization of young people, with vulnerable teenagers often exposed to “sickening” content that normalizes or celebrates such acts.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met with victims’ families earlier this year, has made halving knife crime within a decade a cornerstone of his administration’s agenda.

The new fines are part of this broader mission, building on the Online Safety Act’s framework to protect children from online harms.

Expanding Accountability

The sanctions mark a significant expansion of a November 2024 proposal, which initially targeted senior tech executives with £10,000 personal fines for failing to remove knife-related content.

Under the updated plan, companies themselves now face £60,000 penalties per non-compliant post, bringing the potential total fine to £70,000 per instance when combined with executive penalties.

These fines are civil penalties, meaning they do not result in criminal records for executives, but they underscore a shift toward corporate and personal liability for online content.

The laws will apply to a wide range of platforms, including social media sites, search engines, and online marketplaces, closing loopholes that allowed some providers to evade responsibility.

Police will have the power to issue notices demanding the removal of specific content—such as videos glorifying knife violence or ads for banned weapons within a tight 48-hour window.

Failure to comply triggers the fines, with the chief executive or a nominated director held personally accountable.

Why Now? The Urgency of the Crisis

The urgency of these measures stems from mounting evidence that social media plays a pivotal role in perpetuating knife crime. Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, a knife crime prevention charity, stated,

“The portrayal of knife crime on social media has significantly hindered efforts to reduce it.” He welcomed the government’s decisive action, noting that platforms have “repeatedly failed” to address the issue voluntarily. Campaigners argue that algorithms often amplify harmful content, exposing impressionable young users to videos and posts that glorify violence or offer easy access to illegal weapons.

The Southport attack in July 2024, where 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana killed three young girls in a knife attack after consuming violent online content, further underscored the dangers of online radicalization.

Prime Minister Starmer, speaking in January 2025, warned of the threat posed by “loners, misfits, and young men in their bedrooms” who are radicalized through unregulated online spaces.

The subsequent riots, fueled by misinformation on social media, intensified calls for stricter regulation.

The government’s response also reflects the tireless advocacy of families affected by knife crime. Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was killed in 2022, has campaigned relentlessly for a ban on ninja swords and stronger online protections.

Her efforts, alongside those of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, have pressured lawmakers to extend sanctions to corporate entities, ensuring that platforms bear the financial and moral weight of their inaction.

A Broader Crackdown

The fines are part of a multifaceted strategy to combat knife crime. The government has also announced a comprehensive ban on ninja swords and intensified policing efforts targeting robbery hotspots, coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Commander Stephen Clayman, the council’s lead on knife crime, emphasized the need to disrupt the online accessibility of deadly weapons, stating, “For far too long, deadly weapons have been far too easily accessible online, with content promoting their use for protection and combat rife on many platforms.”

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who chairs a new taskforce on knife crime, described the sanctions as “tough new measures” to protect communities.

“This government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime over the next decade,” she said in a statement. “That means holding technology executives and companies accountable for failing to tackle illegal knife sales and glorification on their platforms.”

Challenges and Controversies

While the measures have been broadly welcomed by anti-knife crime campaigners, they are not without controversy.

Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about the broader trend of policing online content, citing cases where individuals have been arrested for “offensive” social media posts under laws like the Communications Act 2003.

In January 2025, reports surfaced of 30 daily arrests for online content causing “annoyance” or “anxiety,” sparking debates over free speech.

Critics argue that vague definitions of “glorifying” knife crime could lead to overreach, potentially stifling legitimate expression.

Tech companies, meanwhile, face logistical challenges in moderating vast amounts of content within the 48-hour window.

Industry insiders warn that smaller platforms may struggle to comply, potentially leading to market consolidation favoring larger players. However, proponents counter that the fines are proportionate to the harm caused and incentivize proactive content moderation.

A Step Toward Safer Streets?

As the UK confronts its knife crime crisis, the new sanctions represent a bold attempt to disrupt the digital pipelines fueling violence.

By targeting both corporations and their leaders, the government hopes to force a cultural shift in how tech companies approach their responsibilities.

For families like Pooja Kanda’s, and for communities scarred by knife crime, these measures offer a glimmer of hope that the online spaces shaping young lives can be made safer.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill is expected to move forward in the coming months, with consultations ongoing to refine the implementation.

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