(Applies to 100,000 companies WW, UK is Nazi Now!)

16 Dec, 2024 15:05

UK online censorship laws come into force

Britain could soon fine social media giants up to 10% of their annual earnings for failing to remove illegal content

Britain’s newest online censorship law came into force on Monday, as the country’s telecoms regulator published a list of content that social media platforms must remove to avoid multi-million-pound fines.

Ofcom, the British government’s media and telecommunications watchdog, published a set of guidelines thatplatforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok must comply with by March or risk punishmentunder the Online Safety Act, which was passed in 2023.

The guidelines list a range of 130 illegal acts that these platforms must forbid and prevent, including incitement to terrorism, human trafficking, and the sharing of child sexual abuse material.

Also prohibited is the “stirring up of racial hatred”or “hatred on the basis of religion or sexual orientation,” which although ill-defined are already illegal under British law.

Some offenses are “complex,” Ofcom wrote. “They may be more about a series of interactions between users, or may involve behavior that takes place partly offline, or may involve thinking about the nature, identity or age of one or more of the users concerned.”

An early draft of the Online Safety Act included a clause banning certain “legal but harmful”content. However, this passage was pulled from the bill last year after then Business and Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch complained that it amounted to “legislating for hurt feelings.”

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly considered reinserting the controversial clause after a wave of anti-immigration and anti-Islam rioting swept the UK in August, but ultimately decided not to, according to a spokesperson from his office.

Companies who fail to comply with Ofcom’s new rules may be fined up to 10% of their global annual revenue, to a maximum of £18 million ($22.8 million). For repeat offenders, individual managers could face jail time, while Ofcom could seek a court order to block access to a platform in the UK.

According to Ofcom, therules will apply to more than 100,000 companies from around the world, from the largest social media platforms to “very small” providers of entertainment, dating, gambling, and other online services.

https://www.rt.com/business/609445-uk-online-safety-law/

Florida Democratic Rep. Moskowitz a top contender to lead FEMA for Trump

By Steve Contorno and Kristen Holmes, CNN

December 16, 2024

Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, is a top contender to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Donald Trump’s administration, two people with knowledge of the president-elect’s consideration told CNN.

Another person close to the Trump transition team confirmed Moskowitz is in the mix.

It was not immediately clear if Moskowitz and Trump had met yet to discuss the role, but several people described the congressman as a strong candidate to get the post. If appointed, he would be the highest-ranking Democrat in the Trump administration.

Moskowitz did not immediately respond to a voicemail.

Since Trump won in November, Moskowitz — first elected in 2022 — has taken a notably friendlier approach to the incoming administration than some of his Democratic colleagues. He was quick to offer praise on social media when Trump tapped another Florida native, Susie Wiles, as chief of staff. Moskowitz has a close relationship with Wiles from their time working in Florida politics, a source familiar with the dynamic told CNN.

He is also the first Democrat to join the recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus in Congress, a group formed around billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s mandate from Trump to cut government spending and regulations.

Moskowitz was recently elected to serve a second term in the US House, where he represents Broward County. Last year, Moskowitz introduced legislation to make FEMA a Cabinet-level post that reports directly to the president.

It would not be the first time Moskowitz served in a Republican administration in a similar capacity. Under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Moskowitz spent two years as the director of Emergency Management, leading the state recovery for Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that tore through the Panhandle in 2018, as well as the state’s Covid-19 response.

In the private sector,Moskowitz previously worked as the general counsel and vice president of business development for AshBritt Environmental, a disaster response contractor.

(https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/politics/jared-moskowitz-fema-trump-administration/index.html

What are those bands around his wrist?