MPs call for online safety bill overhaul to protect children and penalise tech firms

A wide-ranging series of proposals to amend the pioneering legislation also includes creating a new criminal offence for cyberflashing, punishing tech platforms for hosting fraudulent adverts, and exempting news organisations from content takedowns.

Other changes urged by the report include:

The online safety bill covers websites and apps that offer user-generated content, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube, as well as search engines such as Google. It imposes a duty of care on these companies to protect users from harmful content, or face substantial fines levied by Ofcom, the communications regulator charged with overseeing the legislation once it becomes law.

Although the criminal charge for encouraging serious self-harm would apply to individuals, the report also makes clear that platforms must be held to account legally as well and urges the government to make it easier for users and their families to sue platforms for failing to adhere to the act.