Does the UK Need a Social Media Ombudsman?

Introduction: This article suggests that due to the undeniable importance and prevalence of social media organisations in business life in the UK, perhaps the institution of a Social Media Ombudsman is well overdue.

Imagine this, you run a business. Facebook /Instagram Ads are your lifeline. One morning, your accounts are suspended without warning. Orders stop, bills don’t,
what are your options?

1. Appeal to the platforms - usually automated, often slow. 
2. Consider a Court Case? Great for most things, but not for challenging billion-pound corporations without high cost.
3. ICO complaint: Only applies to data protection issues, and rarely fast.

By the time any of these routes deliver, your business could already be gone. Social media companies these days are not just places to post pictures anymore. They are essential infrastructure for commerce, fundraising, and even politics. Their decisions, usually algorithmic, can cause the same level of harm as a bank freezing your account or a telecom cutting your line. But, unlike those sectors, there’s no independent watchdog. That’s why it could be the time for the UK to put in place a Social Media Ombudsman.

This body could offer fast and affordable dispute resolution and provide useful independent oversight of decisions and demand transparency in how rules are applied.
The UK's ombudsman regime is already extended to finance, telecoms and other fields, so extending the principle to platforms with memberships larger than entire nations isn’t radical. It’s overdue.

The UK could lead the way by setting a model other countries could adopt. Because, in 2025, losing your social media account isn’t just frustrating. For many, it’s losing your livelihood.

This short article is not meant to pick on social media companies. Rather it is designed to evolve their members' disputes for speedier win-win outcomes.

By Dr Andre Alexander, Barrister & Solicitor at ABS&P International Law Firm, Costa Rica
Law Firm Website: https://www.abspinternationallawfirm.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Andre Alexander, Barrister, Solicitor
Managing Partner, AB&SP International Law Firm.