Tech giants including Amazon and Google promise action on fraud
A number of technology giants have pledged to take action on fraud following a meeting with Home Secretary James Cleverly.
The likes of Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Match Group, Microsoft, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube all backed a voluntary charter aimed at cutting online fraud.
Measures to be taken under the charter include quickly identifying and removing content and accounts suspected of being used for fraudulent purposes.
Companies should also take steps to protect users from fraudulent ads, respond to requests from law enforcement for information related to fraud, and share information they have on the subject.
‘Romance fraud’ is a growing area of concern and dating platforms should allow users to choose only to interact with people who verify their identity.
The companies that signed up to the charter also pledged to enact changes within the next six months.
The recently introduced Online Safety Act already requires some companies, including social media platforms and search engines, to take steps to reduce the chances of fraud and fraudulent advertising.
The government said, however, that the new charter was designed to bring about more focused action within a specific set of online platforms.
While the charter is voluntary, the government added that the Joint Fraud Taskforce would hold the signatories to account on delivering their actions.
Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, welcomed the charter, saying that the public was experiencing “an epidemic of scams”.
Fraud currently accounts for around two-fifths of all crimes in England and Wales.