Opportunities for spreading lies and offensive claims and allegations have been vastly expanded by social media. There is growing pressure, highlighted by tragic cases of self-harm by vulnerable people, for the rapid enactment of the Online Safety Bill. The main aim of the Bill is to encourage the companies which, in the government’s words, ‘host user-generated content online, ie those which allow users to post their own content online or interact with each other’ to monitor and remove illegal content and to protect children from ‘harmful and inappropriate content such as that showing pornography or violence’. This is to be supervised by Ofcom which will issue Codes of Practice and will have enforcement powers to secure compliance with information requests.
The Bill in its present form runs to 230 pages and reflects the government’s commendable wish to walk the tightrope of limiting harm while avoiding restrictions on freedom of expression. Notwithstanding its length, however, it imposes
