The government bowed to intense lobbying, calling for the "harmful but legal" clause in the Online Safety Bill when it returns to parliament next month. Other concerning parts of the Bill, such as the requirement for digital platforms to proactively scan user content for illegal material, target anonymity and age-verification requirements, remain. In response, the Open Rights Group claims the government's latest attempts to solve social problems through draconian regulation of online services won't work and forcing providers to scan private messages risks is "akin to Putin's Russia or Xi's China."
UPDATE:
- 291122 - Mishcon de Reya published a summary of amended provisions, refocusing the Bill on illegal content and protecting children.
- 301122 - Open Rights Group published a policy brief on the inclusion of a chat monitoring of private messaging services provision, which has worked its way into the Bill with little debate or Parliamentary Scrutiny. Discussing the new measure, ORG Freedom of Expression policy manager Dr Monica Horten said, "Children deserve to grow up in a free society. We all have the right privately message our friends, colleagues, and loved ones." If approved, the measure puts end-to-end encryption at risk.
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