'Continued Responsibility' To Tackle Online Abuse

Social media platforms have a continued responsibility to tackle online abuse, the DUP's Diane Dodds has said.

She said: "The purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk doesn't change the fundamental questions which face social media platforms.

"Support for free speech does not and should not mean turning a blind eye to threats and vile abuse. Similarly free speech doesn't have to hide behind anonymous and effectively disposable accounts which are used simply as a platform to attack. People can adopt a pseudonym if they wish but the platform should have their real details. This is the way to ensure people exercise more responsibility and orchestrated hate factories are unable to utilise the social media platforms."

"The focus for the future of Twitter or any other social media platform shouldn't be on who happens to own them, but on whether there is a genuine will to tackle the kind of 'wild west' which currently exists."