The latest draft of the Online Safety Bill and a brief discussion about the controversy surrounding it

This talk sets out the latest position with the UK’s controversial Online Safety Bill, and summarises some of the discussion around the Bill’s approach to balancing protecting freedom of expression with the safety of internet users.

Given the recent resignation of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, we also consider the future of the Bill, and the likelihood that it will enter into force as planned. In its current form, the Bill attracts a lot of criticism, especially from the free-speech wing of the Conservative party. Therefore, it is possible that the new Prime Minister could oversee the redrafting or even complete scrapping of the Bill. 

We also set out a summary of the Bill in its current form, explaining which services are in scope and describing some of the duties those services will have in order to protect their users should the Bill come into force.