Tech giants like Facebook and YouTube have been too slow in clamping down on the kind of shockingly violent videos that are regularly uploaded to their websites.
The platforms have invested in ever-increasing numbers of online moderators over the years but it’s clearly not enough to stem the flow. Most people with a smartphone will at some point have inadvertently stumbled across a video nasty that has been shared thousands of times on social media.
Humza Yousaf is right to call for the UK Government to include tough sanctions in the online harm legislation currently being considered by MPs. Internet regulation is a reserved issue, meaning Holyrood can do little other than raise awareness on the subject.
The Record has led the way in calling for action to end the sharing of clips involving youngsters attacking their fellow classmates at school. It’s a horrifying phenomenon that has caught on.
MSPs again raised the Record’s Our Kids ... Our Future campaign, which has put the issue to the forefront of political debate. Part of the problem is the lack of opportunities for kids outside school.
Youth clubs and community facilities have closed at an alarming rate over the last decade thanks to Tory austerity. The Scottish Government can help by ensuring funding is made available. But only Westminster can tackle the tech giants.
Ministers must take tough action to stop them profiting from violent video clips. The old excuses simply won’t wash anymore.
Blacklist blast
It is shocking that hard-working ambulance crews have been placed on a “blacklist” if they change their blood-splattered uniforms during their shifts.
They have been criticised for doing their job properly. It is essential that uniforms are changed and that the ambulances are cleaned so the next patient does not become infected. If they did not do this, patients would be at risk. These workers saved thousands of lives during the pandemic and deserve to be treated better.
They are right to be angry. Many staff members found the list to be “humiliating” and GMB Scotland organiser Karen Leonard is right that it is a “bullying tactic” from bosses.
The fact that a manager took down the list and apologised afterwards shows that they know it was wrong. But it should not have happened in the first place.
Scottish Ambulance Service bosses should value their workers rather than labelling them as “offenders”.
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