Safer Internet Day: Changes to the Online Safety Bill
It's part of the government's plans to promote online safety
Last updated 27th May 2022
Today marks Safer Internet Day (8 February), a global day to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.
The Digital Minister has also announced today that the Online Safety Bill has been strengthened to protect users from harmful content, including confirmation that adult sites will now need to have verifications to check the user is over 18.
Adult sites to carry out age checks
Digital minister Chris Philp confirmed that all sites which publish pornographic content to put "robust checks" in place to ensure users are 18 or over.
Ministers said that if sites fail to act, Ofcom, as the sector's regulator, will be able to fine them up to 10% of their annual global turnover or block their site in the UK, while bosses of such sites could be held criminally liable if they fail to co-operate with Ofcom
"It is too easy for children to access pornography online. Parents deserve peace of mind that their children are protected online from seeing things no child should see," Mr Philp said.
Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, also said:
"It's right the Government has listened to calls to fix one of the gaps in the Online Safety Bill and protect children from pornography wherever it's hosted.
Changes to the list of priority illegal offences
On Friday (4 February),it was announced the long-awaited Bill had been strengthened with the addition of a number of new criminal offences to force social media firms to act on illegal content more quickly.
Offences such as revenge porn, hate crime, fraud, the sale of illegal drugs or weapons, the promotion or facilitation of suicide, people smuggling and sexual exploitation have been added to the list of priority offences and as such must be removed by platforms under the new rules.
Under the new rules, senior executives of online platforms could end up in prison if they do not act, Nadine Dorries has said.
The Online Safety Bill to be strengthened further?
Meanwhile, Labour has called for the Bill to be reviewed further through tougher sanctions for senior executives at firms who breach the new online safety laws.
Lucy Powell, Labour's shadow culture secretary, said: "Security and safety online should be a top priority for the Government, but the Tories have spent years dragging their feet, allowing dangerous and illegal content proliferating online to go unchecked.
"The Online Safety Bill is too weak to make big tech firms sit up and take notice, and ensure that hate, crime and child abuse are stamped out in the online world.
"The regulator Ofcom will be taking on some of the biggest tech firms in the world."
The Online Safety Bill is expected to be introduced to parliament over the next few months as part of a Government strategy to reduce online harms.