CYP Now - Online harms bill 'fails to prevent sharing of abuse images', warn MPs

Proposed government legislation to tackle online harms would fail to prevent the sharing of some of the most “insidious” images of child abuse and violence against women and girls, according to an influential group of MPs.

The committee warns the bill fails to prevent the sharing of some child abuse images. Image: Paul Carter

Scrutiny by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee of the Draft Online Safety Bill has found that in its current form, the legislation is neither clear nor robust enough to tackle certain types of illegal and harmful content on user-to-user and search services.

Chair of the DCMS committee Julian Knight MP said: “In its current form what should be world-leading, landmark legislation instead represents a missed opportunity.

“The Online Safety Bill neither protects freedom of expression nor is it clear nor robust enough to tackle illegal and harmful online content.

“Urgency is required to ensure that some of the most pernicious forms of child sexual abuse do not evade detection because of a failure in the online safety law.”

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included