The Safety Bill on the Internet Successfully Passed in the UK Parliament
The Safety bill on the Internet successfully passed the last discussion in the UK parliament. This means that the government is a step away from the introduction of the most stringent laws to protect children over the past decades. The law also aims to improve adult capabilities to control their lives on the Internet and protect their mental health.
The law implies the punishment for the appearance of content dangerous for children and obliges social platforms to be responsible for the placed material. If the platforms do not quickly remove illegal content or prevent children’s access to harmful material, such as mockery, they are awaiting large fines that can reach billions of pounds. In some cases, companies can even go to jail.
In addition, the law provides for new measures to combat online militia and bullying on the Internet over women and girls. Now it will be easier to condemn those who distribute intimate images without consent, and the maximum punishment for this will be 6 months of conclusion. In addition, it will become easier to introduce new laws that will tighten the punishment for the inconsistent distribution of dipfaces.
On the eve of the entry of the law, the largest social media have already begun to take measures. Snapchat began to remove the accounts of minor users, and Tiktok introduced a more stringent test of age.
OFCOM to Supervise Compliance with New Internet Security Standards
The Great Britain Communication regulator of OFCOM (Office of Communications) will act as the main supervisory authority and monitor compliance with new security standards on the Internet in the UK. If social platforms do not comply with the rules, offom will be able to finish them in the amount of up to 18 million pounds or 10% of their annual income, depending on which amount is greater.