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The UK government’s long-awaited law, aimed at protecting people from “harmful” content on the internet, passed the House of Commons on January 17 and will be sent to the Senate for further amendment.
The Online Safety Bill makes technology companies responsible for identifying and removing what they deem harmful (but not necessarily illegal). Otherwise, you will face severe consequences. Critics have previously described the bill as a well-meaning but ambiguous law that could have unintended negative consequences.
The bill will first be introduced in the House of Representatives in March 2022. Nadine Dorries, then UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said in a statement that technology companies “are not held accountable when damage occurs. Abuse and crime.” behavior is rioting on their platforms.” But how governments decide what is “harmful” and what isn’t, and how tech companies moderate content according to those decisions. remains unknown.
What does the bill propose?
The law is extensive and has undergone many changes since it was first introduced. There will be new crimes against individuals, targeting so-called “cyberflashing” (unsolicited graphic image transmission) and online bullying.
Tech companies such as Twitter, Google, Facebook, and TikTok also have many new responsibilities. All ads displayed on the platform should be checked to make sure they are not fraudulent, but those that allow adult content will check the user’s age to make sure they are not children is needed.
Online platforms should also proactively remove what they deem “harmful content.” Details of what this includes remain unclear, but today’s announcement cites examples of “self-harm, harassment and eating disorders.”
A preview of the bill in February 2022 mentioned that “illegal search terms” would also be banned. new scientist Asked at the time what would be included in a list of illegal searches, he was told that no such list yet existed, stating, “Companies are committed to ensuring that they are safe by design and that users encounter illegal content.” services must be designed and operated to prevent
The bill also gives regulators and oversight agencies greater powers to investigate breaches. New crimes will be introduced to combat employees of companies covered by the law from tampering with data before it has been handed over, and another crime to stop or obstruct raids and investigations. His Ofcom regulator has the power to fine companies up to 10% of their annual global turnover.
what was added?
The government has announced that it will make further amendments to the bill when it is submitted to the Senate. Michelle Donnellan, current Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, said: [English] Channels that display their activities in a positive light could be seen as aiding and abetting illegal immigration and could be criminalized under the new bill. She said it would allow senior executives at tech companies to be jailed for failing to keep children safe online.
does it work?
In March 2022, Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey, UK, said the bill was proposed with good intentions but had problems with the details. “The first problem arises when trying to define ‘harm,'” he said. “It is difficult to distinguish between harm and free speech. cannot be given to
He also said tech-savvy kids will be able to easily circumvent measures related to age verification and user-identity using VPNs, the Tor browser, and other tricks.
The bill also urges tech companies to take a cautious approach to what they allow on their sites, ensuring freedom of speech, open discussion, and potentially useful content, including controversial subjects. There are also concerns about being suppressed.
Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group also spoke in March 2022, warning that moderation algorithms created to comply with new laws would be blunt instruments that would block important sites. For example, discussion forums that offer mutual support and advice to people working with eating disorders or coming off drugs may be banned. “Platforms will try to rely on automated methods because automated methods are ultimately cheaper,” he said. “None of them have been wildly successful.”
The Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, said in response to the latest update on Jan. 17 that the plan to imprison the tech boss was “harsh” and that the entire bill could restrict freedom of expression. said to be sexual.
when will it become law?
The government has not started the process of getting the bill through the House of Representatives. The bill must then be finalized by both houses of parliament and receive the consent of the King before it can be enacted and become legally binding. This process may take months or years.
What do tech companies make out of it?
Anything that increases the burden of liability and introduces new risks due to negligence is unpopular with tech companies and companies operating globally will have to create new tools and procedures just for the UK market. Twitter’s Katy Minshall said in March 2022, “A one-size-fits-all approach fails to take into account the diversity of the online landscape.” But she added that Twitter is “looking forward to considering” the bill.
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