From what feels like time immemorial the UK government has paraded its proposed online harms legislation under the banner of ‘What is Illegal Offline is Illegal Online’. As a description of what is now the Online Safety Bill, the slogan is ill-fitting. The Bill contains nothing that extends to online behaviour a criminal offence that was previously limited to offline. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Tag: Online Safety Bill (Page 1 of 3)
Any commentary upon legislation in progress risks rapidly becoming outdated: an occupational hazard to which this piece is by no means immune. Continue reading
Part 3: Criticism
In a rare show of national unity, disapproval of the OSB has spanned both ends of the political spectrum. Alongside criticism from the Labour culture minister, Conservative politicians have also weighed in on the ‘legal but harmful’ debate. Thinktanks and non-profit groups have likewise been apprehensive.
A number of Bills proposed by the recent Conservative governments have sparked controversy among commentators: among them, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, the Retained EU Law Bill, and the ‘British’ Bill of Rights Bill. Taking its place in the rogues’ gallery is the Online Safety Bill (OSB)[pdf]. Continue reading
The traditional press has two roles, one as a check on public figures, and another as a form of entertainment. Increasingly, as Franklin argues: Continue reading
Yesterday in the House of Commons the Government was skewered over its plans to allow extremists or dictators to set up front organisations in the UK and brand themselves “news publishers”, to benefit from a wide ranging and poorly drafted exemption to the Online Safety Bill. Several newspapers have rushed to defend the loophole because they themselves would benefit from. Continue reading
There is broad consensus that a greater degree of regulation of online content is necessary, but the aims of the proposed new Online Safety Bill in the UK could be undermined by a lack of clarity over the way the legislation is to be implemented and enforced. Continue reading
Russia Today set to benefit from press exemption to the Government’s Online Safety Bill – Hacked Off
A Hacked Off investigation has revealed that Russia Today, the Russian media outlet accused of peddling Kremlin-backed disinformation, is set to benefit from an exemption in the Government’s forthcoming plans for regulating social media in the UK. Continue reading
On 17 March 2022, the Government finally published the Online Safety Bill, which will now make its way through Parliament – with the expectation that it will ultimately become law. Continue reading
A report from the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom confirms children are avid social media users. Some 99% of children aged three to 17 used the internet in 2021. YouTube was the most popular platform, with 89% of children using it. Meanwhile, half of kids used TikTok, a popular site which allows users to watch and share short videos. Continue reading
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