UK gov’t amendments to Online Safety Bill include criminal liability
The UK government has added further amendments to its Online Safety Bill, a piece of legislation designed to keep children and vulnerable adults safe whilst online.
In what critics see as further proof that the legislation has become increasingly unwieldy and complex, tech executives could now face up to two years in prison if they’re found to have “consented or connived” to ignore the enforceable requirements of the bill and therefore “risking serious harm to children.”
The bill was updated on Tuesday after Conservative back benchers threatened to vote against the legislation unless it included a provision that would allow regulators to prosecute social media executives who are found to have compromised the safety of children online. Earlier in the week, the Labour Party also signaled it would be willing to back the inclusion of criminal liability to the bill.