In a momentous development, the Online Safety Bill has successfully navigated its final parliamentary debate, signalling its imminent transformation into law. This significant milestone positions the government on the cusp of introducing some of the most potent child protection laws in a generation while empowering adults to exercise greater control over their online experiences, all with a focus on safeguarding mental health.
The legislation adopts a zero-tolerance stance toward protecting children and ensures that social media platforms are held accountable for the content they host. Under these regulations, platforms failing to swiftly prevent and remove illegal content and safeguard children from harmful materials, such as cyberbullying, face substantial fines that could potentially reach billions of pounds. In severe cases, company executives may even face imprisonment.
The Online Safety Bill has undergone rigorous scrutiny in both houses of Parliament, emerging with reinforced protections for all citizens.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan heralded the bill’s significance, saying, “The Online Safety Bill is a game-changing piece of legislation. Today, this government is taking an enormous step forward in our mission to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.”
She expressed immense pride in the legislation’s balanced approach, emphasising that it aligns the online realm with offline laws, placing child protection at the forefront. Donelan acknowledged the tireless efforts of parliamentarians, abuse survivors, and charitable organisations, underscoring their unwavering dedication to pushing the bill through.
The bill adopts a zero-tolerance stance toward protecting children, making social media platforms legally responsible for the content they host and ensuring the online safety of children and young people. Social media platforms are expected to:
– Swiftly remove illegal content or prevent its appearance.
– Bar children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content.
– Implement age restrictions and age-verification measures.
– Enhance transparency by publishing risk assessments detailing risks and dangers to children.
– Provide accessible avenues for reporting online problems to parents and children.
The NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, celebrated the bill’s passage, characterising it as a momentous day for children and a substantial step toward the safer online world they deserve.
In addition to safeguarding children, the bill empowers adults by providing three layers of protection for internet users:
1. Ensuring the removal of illegal content.
2. Enforcing social media platforms’ promises to users through terms and conditions.
3. Allowing users to filter out harmful content, such as cyberbullying, that they do not wish to encounter online.
Failure to comply with these rules could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global annual revenue, imposed by Ofcom, potentially reaching billions of pounds for major platforms.
The bill has also been expanded to address online fraud and violence against women and girls, with provisions to convict individuals who share intimate images without consent. Such offenders could face a maximum penalty of six months in custody.
Campaigner Georgia Harrison, a former Love Island star, welcomed the bill’s measures against online abuse towards women and girls.
As anticipation builds for the bill’s implementation, major social media platforms have already initiated actions to comply. Snapchat is removing underage user accounts, and TikTok has implemented robust age verification measures.
Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes acknowledged the significance of this milestone, emphasising their readiness to enforce the new laws. Ofcom will promptly commence work on tackling illegal content and child safety, with consultations on standards to address online harms, including child sexual exploitation, fraud, and terrorism, set to begin soon after Royal Assent.
While this groundbreaking legislation marks a significant step forward in online safety, its full impact will only become clear once it is in force, with both children and adults set to benefit from a safer online environment in the UK.
