The U.K. government is setting up an independent regulator for online safety, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists wants it to require social media companies to share anonymized data on how young people use their platforms—and to apply a levy to fund research and training into the issue. (CNBC) 

Talking point: The call is part of a worldwide trend of regulators pressuring Big Tech to contribute more. France introduced three per cent tax on tech firms’ revenues last year, and London has proposed a two per cent “digital tax” of its own. The OECD and the European Commission are deliberating on a digital tax for member nations, and Canada’s Liberal government is set to impose a three per cent value-added tax on domestic sales of online advertising and user data for companies with $1 billion or more in global revenue, of which at least $40 million is made in Canada. Research on harm by social media is also growing. Most platforms say users must be at least 13 years old to have an account, but some studies suggest many younger children bypass these restrictions.