A final decision on potential sanctions for social media sites such as Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg, will not be taken until spring

Ministers have shelved a decision about imposing tough sanctions on social media companies that fail to protect their users, amid a backlash from tech giants.

Baroness Morgan of Cotes, the culture secretary, announced on Wednesday morning that the government is “minded to” appoint Ofcom to enforce a statutory duty of care.

The government is considering giving Ofcom the power to hit social media companies with fines, criminal prosecutions or even bar them from operating in Britain entirely.

However an interim response to a consultation, published on Wednesday morning, revealed that a final policy decision on potential sanctions will not be taken until spring.

Tech companies raised particular concerns about “senior manager liability”, which would require them to appoint a named individual in the UK who