The British Columbia government and social media giants have made what they call a “historic collaboration” for youth safety online.
The companies have committed to providing B.C. with so-called direct escalation channels that will allow for quick reporting of non-consensual intimate images being placed online even before a protection order is issued. “Recognizing the shared goal of teens having safe, age-appropriate experiences online, action-table participants agreed that future meetings would continue to emphasize new actions to promote youth safety online,” the statement says.
The change comes after Meta cut off news feeds on its Facebook and Instagram platforms last year over the federal government’s creation of the Online News Act, to have social media companies pay outlets for the news stories that are repeated on their channels.