UK Court Calls Facebook and Others ‘Digital Gangsters’

UK Court Calls Facebook and Others ‘Digital Gangsters’
A television photographer shoots the sign outside of Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Paul Sakuma/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

LONDON—British lawmakers issued a scathing report Feb. 18 that calls for tougher rules to keep Facebook and other tech firms from acting like “digital gangsters” and intentionally violating data privacy and competition laws.

The report on fake news and disinformation on social media sites followed an 18-month investigation by Parliament’s influential media committee. The committee recommended that social media sites should have to follow a mandatory code of ethics overseen by an independent regulator to better control harmful or illegal content.