The UK government will today introduce its much-anticipated Online Safety Bill aimed at holding global tech companies and their executives accountable for harmful content found online.
The bill will force social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions, a government statement said.
Executives whose companies fail to cooperate with regulator Ofcom’s information requests could now face prosecution or jail time within two months of the bill becoming law, instead of two years as it was previously drafted.
The regulator will have the power to fine companies failing to comply with the laws up to 10% of annual global turnover, force them to improve their practices and block non-compliant sites.
Executives also face jail time if they destroy evidence, fail to attend or provide false information in their interviews with the bill's regulator Ofcom and obstruct the watchdog as it enters company offices.
The landmark legislation, which has been in the works for five years, tackles a range of harmful online content, such as cyberbullying, pornography, and racist tweets, as well as material promoting self-harm.
Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, are under fire for allowing harmful content to be shared on their platforms.
Tech companies now will have a duty of care to protect their users against harmful content, or they will be fined heavily by the communications watchdog. If they fail to remove harmful content, social networks could even be blocked, while their bosses may be imprisoned.
Secondary legislation approved by Parliament will outline the 'legal but harmful' content categories that have been agreed upon.
Among the new aspects of the bill is a 'right to appeal' for people whose social media posts were removed unfairly.
"The internet has transformed our lives for the better. It’s connected us and empowered us. But on the other side, tech firms haven’t been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behaviour have run riot on their platforms," Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told media. "Instead they have been left to mark their own homework."
Damian Collins, chair of the Joint Committee on the draft Online Safety Bill, which examined the previous draft, said it was a "huge moment for the safety of all internet users."
"The UK is leading the world with legislation to finally hold social media companies for the offences that take place on their platforms, like hate speech, fraud, terrorism, and child abuse," he said.
There have been concerns raised by some campaigners over the use of the phrase 'legal but harmful' in the Bill and its potential impact on free speech.
Executive director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said the term amounted to creating a censorship charter that could harm free speech.