The Online Safety Bill, which passed its final Parliamentary debate on Tuesday, September 19th, is now set to become law. This represents a significant step towards establishing some of the most robust child protection laws in a generation and enhancing online safety for adults, including safeguarding mental health.
This legislation adopts a zero-tolerance stance toward child protection and holds social media platforms accountable for the content they host. Failure to promptly address and remove illegal content, as well as preventing children from accessing harmful material like cyberbullying, could result in substantial fines, potentially reaching billions of pounds, and even potential imprisonment for company executives.
The Online Safety Bill has undergone rigorous parliamentary scrutiny, resulting in strengthened protections for all users. Michelle Donelan, the Technology Secretary, emphasized the transformative impact of this legislation, aiming to make the UK the safest place online. It ensures that what is illegal offline is also illegal online, prioritizing child protection and addressing cybercriminal activity.
Key provisions include requiring social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal content, prevent children from accessing inappropriate content, enforce age limits, enhance transparency about risks to children, and establish accessible reporting mechanisms for users and parents.
The NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, expressed delight at the bill’s passage, highlighting its importance for children’s safety online. The legislation empowers tech companies to prioritize safety by design and encourages collaboration with organizations like the NSPCC to create a safer online environment for children.
Moreover, the bill empowers adults to control their online experiences through three layers of protection:
Ensuring the removal of illegal content.
Imposing a legal responsibility on social media platforms to uphold user agreements.
Providing users with the option to filter out harmful content, such as bullying.
Non-compliance by social media platforms could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual revenue, potentially reaching billions of pounds for major platforms.
The bill also introduces new laws to combat online fraud and violence against women and girls, including measures to prosecute individuals who share intimate images without consent. Such offenders may face a maximum penalty of six months in custody.
Former Love Island star and campaigner Georgia Harrison highlighted the bill’s significance in addressing online abuse against women and girls. The legislation compels major social media platforms to block and remove fraudulent advertisements or face substantial fines from Ofcom.
The government further strengthened the bill to compel social media firms to prevent content that facilitates animal cruelty and torture, even if it occurs outside the UK but is visible to UK users.
Anticipating the bill’s implementation, major social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok have already taken steps to enhance age verification and remove underage users’ accounts.
Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, emphasized the importance of this legislation in creating a safer online environment and outlined Ofcom’s readiness to implement the new laws. Ofcom will swiftly address illegal content and children’s safety, with a consultation process launching shortly after Royal Assent.
In conclusion, the Online Safety Bill represents a major milestone in enhancing online safety for children and adults in the UK, with a focus on addressing illegal content, child protection, and combatting online abuse and fraud. The bill’s provisions are expected to bring about a safer digital landscape, with major social media platforms already taking proactive steps to comply.