We can no longer wait for online companies to act voluntarily to make their platforms safer
4 min read
The Online Harms White Paper is a valuable step forward in creating a safer and stronger internet that works for the benefit of all humankind, says DCMS Minister, Lord Ashton.
Aristotle once famously said: “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” Nowhere is this more true than on the internet. Although it’s driven dramatic improvements to our economy and society, a lack of regulation has led to harmful behaviour and content becoming a fact of life online for too many people.
The ease with which UK citizens can be exposed to bullying, promotion of suicide, child sexual exploitation or the glorification of terrorism has spurred many to raise their concerns. It is Government’s duty to act on them.
This month we published a landmark document, one that has been noted across the globe. The Online Harms White Paper sets out plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK a safer place to be online.
Our challenge is to shape an internet that is still open and innovative but also protects users from harm, especially children, and maintains the UK as one of the best places to start and grow a digital business.
This is a complex balance to achieve but we can no longer wait for online companies to act voluntarily to make their platforms safer. Any company, whether online or offline, providing services to millions of UK citizens, has a responsibility to keep those services safe.
To achieve this, the White Paper sets out an ambitious and coherent framework for online companies to work within. We will establish in law a new duty of care on these companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator.
The regulator will set clear safety standards for a comprehensive set of online harms, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and effective enforcement powers, including the power to levy substantial fines.
Since the White Paper was published the reaction has been positive, with campaigners, charities and even tech giants like Facebook and Twitter welcoming it and pledging to support our work to develop this new framework.
Of course, our proposals have sparked an important debate and it's necessary that there is now a period of consultation where they come under close scrutiny before we legislate. There has been some commentary that the measures we have set out will fetter the freedom of the press. That is not the case.
We believe it is right for all companies currently enabling some form of user generated content online to take reasonable steps to tackle harms on their services. But journalistic or editorial content will not be affected by the regulatory framework, and where user-generated services are already well regulated, we will not duplicate those efforts.
We are consulting closely with the press industry to ensure our proposals are effective, proportionate and do not have unintended consequences. This Government absolutely upholds the core principle of freedom of expression, and will always strongly support a vibrant, plural and independent press that can hold the powerful to account. The regulator will take a proportionate and risk-based approach, with a legal duty to pay due regard to innovation and to protect users’ rights online, taking particular care not to infringe privacy or freedom of expression.
This is a moment when the UK can show real global leadership, one where we will work across society, including with the technology and third sectors and members of both Houses, to get it right. The White Paper is a valuable step forward in creating a safer and stronger internet that works for the benefit of all humankind.
Lord Ashton of Hyde is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport.
PoliticsHome member, PA Consulting, have responded to Lord Ashton, saying "We welcome the Government’s commitment to providing a clear regulatory standard that protects all citizens from online harms." Read the full response here.
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