Twitter's abuse problem might be about to get costly, after a group of MPs proposed fines of up to £2 million for social networks that can't curb online harassment.
The proposal is part of the "Malicious Communications (Social Media) Bill", a private member's bill introduced by Labour MP Anna Turley.
The bill proposes a register of social media companies operating in the UK. These would be determined by the culture secretary, currently Karen Bradley, and regulated by Ofcom, the UK's communications watchdog.
According to the bill, regulated social media firms would need "reasonable means to prevent threatening content from being received" by British users.
In short, Twitter and other social media platforms would automatically need to filter for abuse, unless users had requested unfiltered content and are over the age of 18.
Any company failing to comply could be fined up to £2 million or 5% of their global turnover.
If passed into law, the rules would also affect Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. It isn't clear whether private messaging apps like WhatsApp would also need regulation.
It's possible the proposed bill will never become law. Private member's bills rarely become law and are usually a way for MPs to highlight certain issues. The current bill is notably sponsored by several female MPs who have spoken out about online abuse, such as Jess Philips and Ruth Smeeth, both of whom have received death threats on social media.
Here's the private member's bill in full:
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