Minister tells social media firms to take down dangerous driving content in wake of fatal A66 crash in Middlesbrough – UK politics live

Defence minister says police ‘need time’ but ‘in the meantime’ the government has told platforms to take down content glorifying dangerous driving

As we outlined in the opening post, the government has told TikTok and other social media companies to remove content featuring a social media trend showing people driving the wrong way down roads.

It is worth mentioning that TikTok is already under investigation by Ofcom, the UK’s online regulator, with a probe launched in July over concerns it has failed to protect children from harmful content.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must minimise children’s exposure to violent material and content promoting dangerous challenges. In July, we launched an investigation into TikTok’s compliance with its child safety duties, and we’ve shown we’ll take action if evidence suggests companies are falling short.