UK introduces law targeting Big Tech executives with massive fines over illegal content
- The Online Safety Bill is being presented to lawmakers this week after numerous changes in circulation since 2019
- The bill adds new requirements for age verification, combating trolling, and a right to appeal for users who believe their posts were removed unfairly
The UK is introducing long-awaited and sweeping legal proposals to force internet companies to remove illegal content from their platforms, giving regulator Ofcom power to impose massive fines and prosecute executives personally for failures to comply.
Although its central aims and numerous revisions have been in circulation since 2019, the Online Safety Bill will be presented for lawmakers to see in full this Thursday, after a first formal draft was published in May.
The bill is intended to make technology companies more accountable for removing illegal material from their platforms. This includes content that promotes terrorism or suicide, revenge pornography, and child sexual abuse material. Harmful and adult content is also covered by the bill.
Also part of the Online Harms Bill:
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A requirement for age verification on all websites that host pornography
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A measure to combat anonymous trolling, or abuse and unwanted contact on social media
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The criminalisation of so-called cyber-flashing
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Requirement for companies to report CSAM content to the UK’s National Crime Agency
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The right given to users to appeal to platforms if they think their posts have been taken down unfairly
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News content and journalism will be exempt from the regulation, DCMS said.
Companies will be required to show how they proactively tackle such content spreading. Ofcom will be given the power to enter offices and inspect data and equipment to gather evidence, and it’ll be a criminal offence to obstruct an investigator, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement.
In addition to senior executives being made liable for how their companies comply with the law, businesses could face fines of as much as 10 per cent of their annual global revenue for breaching regulations.
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“The UK government is certainly hoping that the online safety bill will set a global standard,” said Linklaters partner Ben Packer in a statement. “As many platforms will want to maintain a broadly consistent user experience globally, that may end up being in the case.”