SOCIAL media firms have signed up to a tough new set of rules to stamp out child abuse on their own platforms.
In a historic agreement led by the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, online firms vowed to take radical action to stop children being exploited online.
Facebook, Google, Twitter, Snap, Microsoft and Roblox have all signed up to the voluntary new code.
The agreement promised to target live-streaming of sick abuse, launch a new focus on protecting kids across their sites, and set up new measures to target online grooming and track down paedophiles.
The firms will also work closer with victims of cyber abuse to better respond to the rapidly growing threats on the net.
But new video sharing app TikTok – which The Sun has been campaigning to raise awareness of – was not part of the talks.
We've told how mums were shocked to see their kids looking at disgusting content online, and were able to get there with just a few swipes.
Home Secretary Priti Patel, said of the news: "It is truly horrific that thousands of sick paedophiles are preying on vulnerable children from across the world. This scandal requires our global partners to work together, and these principles provide a blueprint for delivering just that.
"I want this landmark collaboration across borders and sectors to define a stronger, new, united approach."
Ministers have repeatedly warned that social media giants face huge huge fines if they did not buck up.
They are planning a drastic shake-up as part of an online harms law to make it safer to surf the web in the UK.
Ministers have already announced extra funding to help tackle child sexual abuse on the internet.
The 11 point action plan in full
- Prevent child sexual abuse material from being available to users online
- Identify any hateful content and report it to authorities
- Seek out online grooming behaviour and abuse activity
- Combat advertising to recruit or solicit children for sexual exploitation
- Target live-streaming abuse
- Prevent search results from showing child abuse images
- Enhanced safety measures to protect and identify kids
- Consideration of victims and survivors of abuse
- Taking a global response to abuse and review the changing landscape
- Reguarly publish data updates on progress
Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "We cannot allow children to fall victim to predators who lurk in the shadows of the web.
"Through global collaboration and with enhanced action from the Five Countries, law enforcement agencies and tech companies, we will ensure that children are protected online."
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