Today (November 24th 2022) the Online Safety Bill was announced to be returning to parliament after a series of delays encountered throughout the year. Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt confirmed the news today that the Bill will be discussed in parliament on Monday 5th December. This would be the third reading of the Bill and is another step towards progressing it further towards the House of Lords and then towards its final stages of approval.
The Bill has been delayed on several occasions which has called into question the ongoing safety of users online who are still open to experiencing online harm while delays take place. SWGfL welcomes the initiative that the Bill is now due to appear in parliament and sees it as a positive milestone that will encourage further progression. Despite this, the Bill is still looking to remove essential and existing legislation that is paramount in protecting victims online. Specifically, relieving platforms of the obligation for impartial dispute resolution processes - impartial appeals processes that they currently enjoy.
David Wright (CEO of SWGfL and Director UK Safer Internet Centre) said: ‘The Bill is currently looking to take essential support away from the public. If someone is experiencing harmful and upsetting content online, we shouldn’t just accept it. Impartial dispute resolution already protects individuals by affording them an impartial appeals process, just like in other sectors. There should be obligations in place to ensure that users have somewhere else to go when they need support.
Right now, the Bill is set to take this away, potentially leaving millions of people vulnerable to harm and without a lifeline when they need it most. We welcome the Bill returning to parliament but stress that these measures must be reinstated for a safer internet. Dismantling impartial dispute resolution processes can have devastating consequences. The Government must ensure that the public will get all the support they need and realise that taking this away is a step back from keeping everyone safe online.
