Four years after its inception as a white paper, the UK government’s contentious Online Safety Bill has successfully passed through Parliament and is poised to become law in the coming weeks.
The primary objective of the bill is to maintain the integrity of websites and various online services by eradicating illegal and harmful content while safeguarding freedom of expression. It encompasses search engines, internet platforms hosting user-generated content (such as social media), online forums, certain online games, and websites featuring explicit material.
Failure to adhere to the bill’s provisions could result in fines imposed by the UK regulator Ofcom, amounting to a maximum of £18 million (approximately US$22 million) or 10% of a company’s global annual revenue, whichever is greater.
The government has been working closely with Ofcom to ensure swift implementation of changes once the bill is enacted, as per the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. Ofcom will commence its consultation process following Royal Assent, gradually enacting the provisions outlined in the Online Safety Bill.
Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for Science, Innovation, and Technology, stated, “Our common-sense approach will deliver a better future for British people, by making sure that what is illegal offline is illegal online. It puts protecting children first, enabling us to catch keyboard criminals and crack down on the heinous crimes they seek to commit.”
Why Is the Online Safety Bill Controversial?
While the goal of ensuring internet user safety and preventing access to harmful content, especially by children, has garnered widespread support, a clause introduced by the government in the summer of 2022 has stirred controversy. This amendment would have mandated tech companies offering end-to-end encrypted messaging services to scan for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and report it to authorities.
In response, around 70 UK information security and cryptography researchers signed an open letter vehemently opposing the bill, expressing concerns about its implications for security and privacy technologies.
In recent developments, the government attempted to address the issue by amending the bill to stipulate that companies would only be required to scan encrypted messages when it becomes “technically feasible” and when the technology meets minimum standards for accurately detecting child sexual abuse and exploitation content.
However, experts who campaigned against the bill argue that this amendment merely postpones the issue and does not alleviate the privacy concerns associated with mandating companies to scan encrypted messages.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Merideth Whittaker, President of Signal, affirmed, “Signal will never compromise on our privacy commitments and the encryption we rely on. Our stance remains firm: we will do everything possible to ensure that people in the UK can use Signal. But if we are forced to create a backdoor or leave, we will choose to leave.”
UK Government Pressures Meta on Encryption
In recent days, the government launched a campaign against Meta’s plan to implement encryption for messages sent through all its social media platforms, urging Meta to halt the rollout until a safety plan is devised to detect child abuse activity within encrypted messages.
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman stated, “Meta has failed to provide assurances that they will keep their platforms safe from sickening abusers. They must develop appropriate safeguards to accompany their plans for end-to-end encryption. I have been clear time and time again; I am not willing to compromise on child safety.”
Meta had previously announced its intention to make end-to-end encryption the default setting for “one-to-one friends and family chats on Messenger” by the end of 2023. In response to the government’s concerns, a Meta spokesperson emphasized their commitment to safety measures, including restricting communication between adults and teens who don’t follow each other and employing technology to combat malicious behavior.
“As we introduce end-to-end encryption, we anticipate continuing to provide more reports to law enforcement than our peers due to our industry-leading efforts to ensure people’s safety online,” the spokesperson noted.