UK Online Safety Bill raises mixed reactions, expert dissent

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The U.K.’s passage of the so-called “Online Safety Bill” in the House of Lords last week continues to garner mixed reactions, along with expert dissent. The bill empowers Ofcom, an official U.K. regulator, to police the Internet in new ways.

UK Online Safety Bill raises mixed reactions, expert dissentHouses of Parliament in London. Image provided by Adobe Stock.

Sept. 25, 2023

The United Kingdom’s passage of the so-called “Online Safety Bill” in the House of Lords last Tuesday continues to garner mixed reactions, along with expert dissent.

Framed as an effort to tackle some of the toughest longstanding issues in Internet regulation, including child sexual abuse materials (aka CSAM), violence or animal cruelty, and content related to terrorism, the bill empowers Ofcom, an official U.K. regulator, to police the Internet in new ways.

“This new legislation seeks to protect people from illegal content and activity online, with a critical focus on child protection so that they do not encounter content and activity that could be harmful to them,” Stewart Room, global head of data protection and cyber security at DWF Law LLP, wrote in Forbes.

Violations could come with a hefty price tag of up to 10% annual turnover or £18 million (approx. $22 million), whichever is higher, according to a Tech Crunch report.

The full text of the Online Safety Bill, posted publicly by the U.K.’s Parliament.

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