The UK government has proposed that social media platforms allow users to hide posts and communications from accounts that do not have a verified owner.
The government’s internet safety measure, if passed, would require huge social networks like Facebook to allow users to screen out unverified identities.
The social network would decide how to verify a user’s identification.
The measure, according to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, will eliminate anonymous trolling.
If social networks fail to address harmful content, the government’s proposed internet safety legislation might result in a fine of 10% of their global revenue.
The bill also prohibits the distribution of so-called revenge porn, as well as human trafficking, internet extremism, and suicide promotion.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) cited internet trolling as an example of racist abuse directed towards England’s Euro 2020 footballers.
While the proposed rule would not prevent people from creating anonymous accounts and abusing them, it would require social media platforms to allow users to “opt out” of seeing posts from unverified accounts.
The DCMS advised that social media platforms allow users to verify their identities by demonstrating that their profile photo is a true likeness, giving official identification, or tying their account to a registered mobile phone number.
The social networks would be in charge of determining the specific technique of verification.
People create anonymous identities for a number of reasons, according to the DCMS, including whistleblowing, exploring their sexuality, and sharing their experience working in an authoritarian firm.
Users, on the other hand, should be given options to “manage who can interact with them,” according to the report.
It said that promoting eating disorders and harmful vaccine misinformation was “toxic,” but that it didn’t go far enough to be considered a crime.
“People will now have more control over who can contact them and will be able to avoid the onslaught of hate sent their way by rogue algorithms,” Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said.
