British politicians have called for new legislation that will force social media firms to fulfil a duty of care to their users.

Parliament's Science and Technology Committee published a report Thursday that said social media companies must be legally required to protect users' health and wellbeing, emphasizing a lack of regulation around harmful content and online bullying.

Legislation recommended in the report included forced transparency reporting, solid processes for dealing with alerts to harmful content, and the use of technology such as artificial intelligence to identify harmful content and behaviors.

Lawmakers also called for a new regulator to scrutinize firms' efforts to minimize harm caused by their platforms. The regulator would be able to take enforcement action against companies that failed to comply with the code of practice, which would be underpinned by a "strong sanctions regime."

One of the recommended sanctions was making company directors financially liable for breaches of the legislation.

Evidence received by the committee linked social media exposure to health issues including damaged sleep patterns, poor body image, bullying, and grooming.

Norman Lamb, chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said in a press release: "The government must act to put an end to the current approach to regulation. We must see an independent, statutory regulator established as soon as possible, one which has the full support of the government to take strong and effective actions against companies who do not comply."