Social media firms ‘not trusted by the public to combat online abuse’

The study was carried out by the anti-abuse campaign group Hope not Hate

The Government’s draft Online Safety Bill is due to begin being scrutinised by MPs and peers this month. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA

Social media companies are not trusted by the public to deal with the problem of online abuse and hateful content, research suggests.

The study by the anti-abuse campaign group Hope not Hate found that 74% of those asked said they did not trust social media companies alone to decide what is extreme content or disinformation when it appears on their platforms.