People across the UK will be better protected from online scams, fake advertisements, and romance fraud after the world’s biggest tech companies pledged to take further action to block and remove fraudulent content from their sites.
With fraud the most common crime in the UK, the government has joined forces with leading tech companies Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Match Group, Microsoft, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube to develop and commit to an Online Fraud Charter, the first of its kind in the world.
The participants have committed to introducing a raft of measures to help protect people from fraudulent content and spam when using their sites. These include verifying new advertisers and removing any fraudulent content promptly. There will also be increased levels of verification on peer-to-peer marketplaces. People using online dating services will have the opportunity to prove they are who they say they are.
The Charter will be supported by tough action to crack down on illegal advertisements and advertisements for age-restricted products like alcohol or gambling being seen by children. An action plan agreed by the Online Advertising Taskforce has been published setting out the steps the industry and government are taking to tackle harm and increase protection for children. This includes developing a base of evidence, improving information sharing, and promoting industry best practice.
All signatories to the (voluntary) Charter have agreed to implement the measures that apply to their companies within six months. The government has pledged that the UK will continue to take a global lead in the fight against fraud, with the Security Minister due to host a global summit in London in 2024.
Links: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-first-agreement-to-tackle-online-fraud