Credit: getty
News
Online Safety Bill: what the new government legislation means for your social media
By Amy Beecham
2 years ago
2 min read
The new legislation aims to make social media safer. But what will it actually mean for you?
The Online Safety Bill has passed its last parliamentary hurdle in the House of Lords, meaning it will finally become law in the next few days, once it achieves royal assent. First proposed in 2019, the bill had been repeatedly delayed over issues such as freedom of speech and privacy.
Now, regulatory board Ofcom has called the move “a major milestone in the mission to create a safer life online for children and adults in the UK” as the flagship piece of legislation will force social media firms to remove illegal content and protect users from material that is legal but harmful.
What will the Online Safety Bill do?
First and foremost, the bill will require social media companies to remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm, selling drugs and weapons, inciting or planning terrorism, sexual exploitation, hate speech, scams and revenge porn. If they fail to act, tech companies will face significant fines that could reach billions of pounds. In some cases, their bosses may even face prison.
The legislation has also created new criminal offences, including cyber-flashing and the sharing of deepfake pornography. The change in laws will make it easier to convict abusers who share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars and better protect the public. Those found guilty of this base offence have a maximum penalty of six months in custody.
Credit: getty
With one in three women in the UK having experienced online harassment, campaigners hope that the Online Safety Bill is going to help bring this to an end by holding social media companies accountable to protect women and girls from online abuse.
However, many have also made it clear that they believe these new laws will not do enough to curb digital sexual violence towards women and that there is still an ongoing conversation to be had around how laws can better protect victims.
Images: Getty
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