Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

British doctors want a tax on tech giants to fund research on the harms caused by social media

British doctors want a tax on tech giants to fund research on the harms caused by social media

Leading U.K. psychiatrists say tech giants should be forced to hand over data on how children are affected by harmful online content.
In a report published Friday, the doctors also recommend “a levy on tech companies proportionate to their worldwide turnover.”

Tech giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter should be slapped with a “turnover tax” to fund research into the harms caused by their social media platforms, according to leading U.K. psychiatrists.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists released a report on Friday calling for the British government to force such tech companies to hand data over to universities that would help researchers understand how children and teens are affected by harmful online content.

In that report, the doctors also recommend “a levy on tech companies proportionate to their worldwide turnover.”

“This would be used to fund independent research and training packages for clinicians, teachers and others working with children and young people,” the college said.

Representatives for Facebook, Google and Twitter were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Britain is set to establish an industry-funded regulator that could have the power to slap internet firms with heavy fines, block people’s access to certain websites and potentially hold top tech executives personally liable for violations, under proposals set out by the government.

The college suggested that this independent watchdog should be tasked with establishing a tax on the revenues of digital companies. The subject of taxation has been a particularly touchy one for tech companies, which are facing pressure from global regulators to increase their contributions.

France last year introduced a 3% tax on the revenues of tech firms -including Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple -generated in the European country. London is also looking to introduce a so-called “digital tax” of its own.

The conversation around the influence of internet platforms on mental health, especially for young people, is a particularly sensitive one in the U.K. The death of Molly Russell, who committed suicide at the age of 14 after watching self-harm videos, led to Facebook-owned Instagram banning graphic images depicting self-harm.

Russell’s father, Ian, has backed the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ plea to force big tech companies to do more on harmful content. In the report, Russell said, though technological progress brings “many benefits,” the “quickening developments can easily disguise the growth of harms that inevitably come in their wake.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×