The government said further details would be released in the spring.

“We will give the regulator the powers it needs to lead the fight for an internet that remains vibrant and open but with the protections, accountability and transparency people deserve,” said Nicky Morgan, the secretary of Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the agency that announced the proposal on Wednesday.

The push for tougher regulation shows a divergence from the American-led vision of the internet that is largely market driven and free of government oversight. In Europe, where free speech is more regulated than in the United States, there has been a growing willingness to impose new rules on the web, particularly related to hate speech, terrorism and material targeting children.

In Germany, companies risk fines if hate content is not removed in as little as 24 hours. France is considering a similar proposal. The European Union is also debating changes to laws that protect internet companies from being liable for content posted on their platforms.

Free-speech and human-rights advocates warned the policies would lead to censorship and be used as a template by more repressive governments.

Europe has been targeting the tech industry for years over growing concerns that American tech giants have too much power and influence. A sweeping privacy law enacted in 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation, limits what personal information can be collected and shared online. Enforcement of European Union antitrust laws has resulted in billions of dollars in penalties against Google, Apple, Amazon and others for anticompetitive behavior.