The government has backed Ofcom taking 'tough action' against social media platforms that fail to remove videos depicting dangerous driving, after a crash near Middlesbrough killed seven people, including two police officers.
Key facts
- Downing Street backed Ofcom to take 'tough action' against platforms that fail to remove dangerous driving videos.
- A crash near Middlesbrough killed seven people in the early hours of Saturday.
- PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died in the collision.
- A Volkswagen Passat carrying five people aged 17 to 23 crashed head-on with a marked armed response vehicle while driving the wrong way on the A66.
- No 10 said sites are legally obliged to take such clips down.
The government has given its full backing to Ofcom to take “tough action” against social media platforms that fail to remove videos depicting dangerous driving, according to the Guardian. The move follows a crash near Middlesbrough that killed seven people, including two police officers.
Downing Street condemned clips that celebrate dangerous driving as “utterly disgraceful” and said the platforms are legally obliged to take them down. The intervention places responsibility on social media firms to act against such content or face regulatory consequences.
The collision occurred in the early hours of Saturday, the Guardian reported. It involved a Volkswagen Passat carrying five people aged between 17 and 23, which crashed head-on with a marked armed response vehicle while driving the wrong way on the A66.
PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died in the crash. In total, seven people were killed in the collision, according to the Guardian.
No 10’s position frames Ofcom, the media regulator, as the body empowered to hold platforms to account should they fail to remove the videos in question. The government emphasised the legal obligation on sites to take down such material.
Why it matters
The government's stance signals it is prepared to use regulatory powers against social media platforms over harmful content, testing how far online safety rules extend to videos glorifying dangerous driving. For the public, it raises questions about accountability for content that authorities say can encourage life-threatening behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the A66 crash?
Seven people were killed in the collision near Middlesbrough, including PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, according to the Guardian.
What action does the government want taken against social media platforms?
Downing Street has backed Ofcom to take 'tough action' against platforms that fail to remove videos depicting dangerous driving, saying the sites are legally obliged to take them down.
How did the A66 crash happen?
According to the Guardian, a Volkswagen Passat carrying five people aged between 17 and 23 crashed head-on with a marked armed response vehicle while driving the wrong way on the A66 in the early hours of Saturday.