Sunak faces Tory rebellion over Online Safety Bill
Backbenchers demand jail terms for social media leaders
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces a brewing backbench rebellion over the UK Government's flagship Online Safety Bill.
At least three dozen Tory MPs are supporting an amendment to the Bill that would give Ofcom, the UK communications watchdog, additional authority to prosecute tech managers and hold them criminally liable for if they failed to protect children online. Labour has said it will support the backbenchers, threatening to overturn Rishi Sunak's Commons majority.
Backbenchers Sir Bill Cash and Miriam Cates are leading the amendment, which will be discussed by the Commons next week. The proposal has the support of at least 10 former ministers, including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Dame Andrea Leadsom and Priti Patel.
Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly, 14, took her life after being bombarded with self-harm and suicide content online, is also supporting the proposal.
In October, a coroner determined that social media platforms played a role in the death of Molly Russell. The schoolgirl, from Harrow, killed herself after watching thousands of posts on self-harm, depression and suicide on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, some of which were recommended to her by algorithms.
Senior coroner Andrew Walker said in his report, sent to the Government and social media firms, that there should be a review of harmful online content, which should consider age-specific content, the use of algorithms, and advertising to children. Walker also expressed his worry about the fact that guardians or parents are unable to examine the content that children are viewing.
Under the rebels' proposals, senior managers at tech companies could face up to two years in prison if they fail to follow new duties to protect children's online safety.
These duties include implementing 'proportionate measures' including age verification, content removal and parental controls.
Search engines would be exempt from the new provision.
The Government has declined to commit to accepting or rejecting any amendments.
"Our aim is to hold to account social media platforms for harmful content, but also ensuring the UK remains a great place to invest or grow a tech business," Sunak's spokesperson said.
"We will consider all the amendments to the Online Safety Bill and set out an approach when they have been put forward."
A consultation conducted before the introduction of the Online Safety Bill had concluded that making managers accountable for a breach of broader safety duties in the bill could make the UK IT industry less appealing.
However, proponents of the amendment, notably child protection organisations, contend that only personal liability for company executives would guarantee the effectiveness of the child safety laws. Tory rebels also cite the financial services and construction sectors as having comparable personal liabilities for company managers.
Under the Online Safety Bill, companies violating their legal obligations risk fines of up to 10% of their worldwide income.
The Bill was first presented in March 2021 under Boris Johnson, and has undergone several changes as it has moved through Parliament.
Its advancement was delayed last month when the Government decided to make more amendments. It is scheduled to return to the Commons on Tuesday, following which it will likely begin a long journey through the House of Lords.
Computing says:
The amendment itself is not a bad idea and would bring the rules on personal liability in the tech sector in line with regulations other industries, like construction, already face. However, with many tech executives living overseas enforcement would be difficult. The amendment, in that case, can be seen as little more than a sop thrown to the public to gather support for the controversial Online Safety Bill, which gives the Government more control over the internet.