New criminal offences and rules for tech giants were recommended as part of proposals for the UK’s Online Safety Bill last month.
The draft proposals would place responsibility on internet service providers for harmful content posted on their platforms, including serious crimes such as child abuse, fraud, racist abuse, promotion of self-harm and violence against women.
If passed, the bill would be one of the most significant attempts at regulating online content to date.
Chair of the Joint Committee on the draft Online Safety Bill, Damian Collins MP, said: “We need to call time on the Wild West online.
“For too long, big tech has gotten away with being the land of the lawless.”
“A lack of regulation online has left too many people vulnerable to abuse, fraud, violence and in some cases even loss of life,” he added.
“The era of self-regulation for big tech has to come to an end.”
It is an ambitious undertaking, and not without its controversy, as lawmakers seek to resolve a range of complex issues.
SWLhas taken an in-depth look at this attempt to tackle the online frontier…
Featured Image: Philipp Katzenberger on Unsplash
